I've just returned from my first trip into my mountain trapline since November. It's a late season line because of the water hazards, it can be a dangerous line. I'm going to be spending a lot of time there over the next three months - trapping - continuing a research project - and filming wolverines. I thought I'd fire up a mountain journal and share some of the pictures and stories with you all.
As mentioned water hazards are a real challenge. Breaking through as you cross is bad enough… but knowing you have to return the same way makes it even more special.
My mission today was to haul four beavers way upriver and put some trail cams up. I'm setting up at two locations I've had a lot of luck at. My machine looks like a hillbilly machine!
The creek I follow is famous for open water all winter. Another challenge is hollow ice, you're cruising along and all of a sudden the ground falls out beneath you. You get to know how solid the ice is by the sound of it as you cruise along.
I get a lot of these, ice bridges that allow you to keep threading your way upriver. I hate it when they break out behind you, and then you know you have to deal with it when you return, this one stayed tight.
I had to break a lot of overland trail first which took most of the day. Lots of blow down and trees bowed over by snow. Love those dumps down the back of your neck. By days end though I got to where I wanted to get and got my baits and cameras placed. Even set a few traps on the way out with my fancy headlamp. Saw marten, lynx, and wolf tracks today plus four moose.
That's a great looking river valley! Those hollow spots under the ice and the bridges that collapse as you go across them suck. Sure would be nice if there was a light weight portable bridge you could carry along with you.
Looks like some awesome country. And the game there is unbelievable . Makes you wonder with all the predators they can make it there. Tough area to be alone in, hope your adventure is a safe one, and good luck. Look forward to seeing the pics and reading the stories.
Boco you have a good eye. A tent camp will do at first but I have plans to put a 16' x 12' small line cabin at this location up on the ridge. we'll see how that goes this winter as well.
These are the blinds we use to film out of but I've been know to build some bigger ones for longer shoots
A good location for filming wolverines as they have a central scent post here that is visited by any wolverine in the area
You could I suspect, if you were on quota, and you can turn that same $500 wolverine into a star worth much much more. Plus I look at it as research into wolverine behavior which I know has made me a much better wolverine trapper. I can pretty much take one when ever I need to. Plus I'm not saying I won't take one further upriver away from my camera locations.
Thanks for sharing - great photo's! I am familiar with the feeling of the ice dropping out and often have to worry about returning across iffy spots. But my river looks friendlier than yours!
Where I go we have lots of that shelf ice that is hollow underneath. I stay away from some great trapping area because of that reason. Scares me just to drive next to it, let alone cross it.
Looks like a come along and some cable or strong rope to get yourself out of trouble if you are close enough to hook onto to something is needed in that country also.
I have a come-along packed on all my machines. The new skandic has enough room to pack the portable come-along, called a mule, under the seat in the storage compartment. And yes I've used them more than once. It's not so bad though, the first trip is usually the most exciting but weather conditions can cause the ice to let go during the day.
Nice pics busman. I sheep hunt up that creek every year. We have to ride the long way around though. We saw a wolverine above tree line a couple years ago there.
Been on that horse trail a time or two. Amazing how fast you can zip up into that country on a sled when conditions are right. I've hauled gear and fire wood to the forestry cabin with my sled. But you can never take access for granted.
Be careful on those creeks this year Brian , if they are like my creeks this year ,,, to much snow too early ,,,, there is no ice under mine at all , just 3 feet of snow and then water !!! The McLoed River is even off limits for me this year , just too unpredictable!!! Stay safe and have fun.
Thank you for sharing this adventure and pictures Bushman. Looking forward to following this. What are you using for internet out there in that tent camp ? How is the new Scandic performing?
By the looks of that load on the machine he has a satellite dish and generator hidden in there somewhere. He just needs a mattress and Oklahoma license plates to complete the picture.
Thank you for sharing this adventure and pictures Bushman. Looking forward to following this. What are you using for internet out there in that tent camp ? How is the new Scandic performing?
No internet out there. I'm running both traplines so I'm bouncing back and forth until Feb 14th. I'm on-line when running the foothills line and totally off grid in the mountains. I have two satellites phones - Globalstar and a marine sat network for emergencies. You know …moments like this
No internet out there. I'm running both traplines so I'm bouncing back and forth until Feb 14th. I'm on-line when running the foothills line and totally off grid in the mountains. I have two satellites phones - Globalstar and a marine sat network for emergencies. You know …moments like this
Seems the marine network would be the obvious choice.
Ron I'm estatic about fuel mileage and oil consumption, simply mind boggling compared to the 550 tundra. I have perfect conditions for testing a machine to the max as we have record snows. Our levels to date are 30% higher than the previous record! I've pulled a sled every trip with between 100 to 300 lbs on it. It's much more stable and i have no problem crawling along in low and picking a trail through the bush. I've been stuck several times but due to the sled getting hung up or buried. I did have it working to climb some steep hills in deep snow and have felt it spinning in loose corn snow about five feet deep. All in all two thumbs up…but my buddy has a super widetrack in a 800, says its unstoppable, so we'll see.
Bushman does the skandic have the 600 etec or the 600 ace? I was just thinking today about a tundra for next year but had heard the 550 was hard on gas and the ace a little under powered so was leaning towards the etec. My neighbor has the 800 super wide, he's not really impressed.
If your neighbor had six feet of snow and mountain grades he might like it?
I got the privilege of riding a new Tundra Extreme , with the 600 etec today , was very impressed with the power and fuel consumption ...... Was a great sled !
I've been so anti ski-doo for so many years I might have to leave it in the bush and never take a buddy along on the line to avoid the ribbing I would get,lol. Bushman is that your new ride swimming or is that your old sled? Either way the fun factor is gone in those deals.
I know you guys are used to that happening, (going thru into the water) but don't see it here to much. How the heck do you get that out now?? Must have a lot of help and winch of some sort??? Nice looking machine to be swimming. Hope it doesn't hurt the motor on you. good luck.
I have a 2014 Skandic WT with the 600 ACE motor. I've very happy with it. I've 1000 km (600 miles) on it this winter and all of it pulling a pig of a sleigh (borrowed). I haven't been stuck and can still break trail while pulling the sleigh. I don't know how much snow we have but it is half way up the side of a moose. Mileage is very good, traction amazing and I have no shortage of power. My main loop from my cabin and back is 168 km. I use less than 5 gallons of fuel while pulling the pig the whole way.
Rich i used the 600 ace last winter and while impressed just couldn't get used top the lag time on the take off, reminded me of my diesel tractor. But the crew that had them loved them. I'm a confirmed BRP user since 1974 and love how innovative they are. unless you've driven a new snowmobile its hard to realize how far they've come in a few years
SK - nope that's one of the 550's from a few years back. Drain carb, drain exhaust, pull plugs and pull over 1000 times expelling water, put plugs back in and hope for best…but get it in shop asap and drain chaincase etc. not fun. I've totally submerged three sleds over the years. i'm off to run a line but will tell you a good story later.
Rich i used the 600 ace last winter and while impressed just couldn't get used top the lag time on the take off, reminded me of my diesel tractor. But the crew that had them loved them. I'm a confirmed BRP user since 1974 and love how innovative they are. unless you've driven a new snowmobile its hard to realize how far they've come in a few years
SK - nope that's one of the 550's from a few years back. Drain carb, drain exhaust, pull plugs and pull over 1000 times expelling water, put plugs back in and hope for best…but get it in shop asap and drain chaincase etc. not fun. I've totally submerged three sleds over the years. i'm off to run a line but will tell you a good story later.
Brian I don't know sh*t form shinnola on snowmobiles, this is my first since the 80s. I do know that there is zero lag time on my throttle. my one boy has a 800 Etec in a Free Ride and he is impressed how responsive the ACE is. Maybe they changed something for 2014, it is bloody touchy. Either way I don't care, the machine hasn't been out of low gear yet with all the pulling. Does anyone have a SWT with the ACE? My oldest boy just bought a Bearcat 20"x156" track and an 1100 4 stroke motor!! He is supposed to come to the trapline with it Saturday. I will be interested to see how its 125 hp compares to my 60. I don't know what you would do with all the HP, maybe drive bigger paddles?
By the looks of that load on the machine he has a satellite dish and generator hidden in there somewhere. He just needs a mattress and Oklahoma license plates to complete the picture.
Seriously ? Oklahoma ? You ever spent any time just a ways East of me ? They turn the 'term' redneck in on itself.
LOL ! You may be too young to remember all the jokes aimed at Okies during and after the depression. The same applies to jokes in Alaska as the pipeline project was winding down.
I blasted back to town to ship my martens today. I ended up with 40 for the first sale, plus a couple fox and fisher. I tried to focus on marten as the loggers are hammering my foothills trapline. Now that i have them out of my system I'm going after lynx and wolves. i don't bother with wolves when I'm marinated in skunk essence every day. But heading out again to try footholding some. I'll post a pic of some marten later.
So these are mostly Bridger's but I have four of the new Lay design as well. I have some liquified wolf scat plus a bottle of wolf urine. I also have a spruce cover scent my buddy a wolfer gave me. You wipe it on your gloves, trap, boots, when setting, he claims it's an amazing product, we'll see. Hopefully I'll connect on a few and have some pics. I really like foot holding even though cash wise it makes little sense.
My furs all ready to go. Our Trapper's local held a meeting and our local NAFA guy showed up to pick up our furs..A fair bit picked up but lots of trappers saying harvest is down. Weather is part of it with records snow. I'm trying to head to mountains on morning but another heavy snowfall warning for overnight.
I was making my way down a steep switchback when I saw a trail of pounded down fisher tracks heading up-slope. I followed them a short ways and found a den it seems to be occupying off and on. Lots of tracks going into the den. I put two sets there so I'm eager to see how I make out.
You got it snap. I had to hang onto a spruce branch to pull myself up the steep slope to actually get the picture. Hardlly any snow under the spruce and that dirt you see is so dry it's crumbly not frozen. Great bedding for a wolf trap. Don't worry Len we have 30% more snow then our previous record. It's actually prevented some trappers from going out this year. I'm out the door see you in a feww days.
I'm back home to head out and check the foothill line. Interesting trip to the mountains as the weather went crazy. Rain - snow - very high winds. There was no use setting footholds as the snow levels are dropping, rain is falling ect. I didn't want to waste the trip so, as my wife came with me so I decided to try out some of W17 wife training techniques. ( * note to Rick Mc the lurker…you talk to my wife and you're dead)
I've got to hand to Ken he really is on to something. I started her out light and had her haul my dog in.
Once we got there a hot meal was on deck
But the next day we started on clearing out a trail to our new cabin construction site. She's not ready for the chainsaw but is pretty good at chucking brush.
Her final lesson was on water crossings, something I had a lot of resistance on, but using some of Ken's advanced techiques, I got her across.
Great stuff Brian ,, the high winds and rain hit here as well , I was out on the line and it was as if I was driving through a war zone!!!! At first I took it as a curse , but after I got all the blow down cleared away , I realized just how much the snow has dropped , and I'm gonna make an attempt at breaking more trail tomorrow into some good wolf country. Great pic's keep'em coming.
Good stuff Brian. I'm wondering about my next check here in a couple days. The falling snow will mean a ton of missed lynx and I think I'll have to carry extra chainsaw gas just to get around!
It's a waste of time setting new traps right now. I picked up six marten yesterday, all thawed out. Wind is still whipping and lots of trees blown down, but snow levels are dropping big time. I pulled all my sets and plan on moving to new area as soon as cold comes back. This is one of the longer chinooks I've encountered, and they're always followed by big storm so winter will be back soon.
I'm amazed at how fat the lynx are! I put these two up the other night and I don't think they could be any fatter in the summer. This winter might be hard for some but not the cats. I love the spotted bellies!
I was told by an old trapper type that fat lynx means a rabbit crash as they are the main prey for lynx. When they change prey they start eating other prey containing more fat?
This theory supposable came from a guy who passed by the named of Dean Wilson.
Snow conditions are bad. Not only is it deep but we had rain which put a 8" hard crust on top. The new Skandic WT is getting a work out. In this pic I punched a trail up the hill. You can see how deep i dug on the right hand side. On the left i had turned around and came back down slope, so I stayed on top. In order to climb the hill I'd punch my way 20 yards upslope until I came to a stop, reverse 10 yards and punch upslope another 20-40 yards. I considered turning around and retreating but you know how stubborn trappers are.
No internet out there. I'm running both traplines so I'm bouncing back and forth until Feb 14th. I'm on-line when running the foothills line and totally off grid in the mountains. I have two satellites phones - Globalstar and a marine sat network for emergencies. You know …moments like this
Here's an interesting moment at the wolverine research site.
I was checking out your journal tonight cause i'm lazy and its too darn cold, again, for me to get motivated to do 'stuff'. I swear its gone above -20 but a handful of times since the 1st week of November. Anyways, is that a cat to the left of that gulo ? Looks like it to me.
I am enjoying your journal, keep up the good work and stay safe .. thanks for sharing.
Now that i've studied the picture some more, it is a cat, very neat pic ... ah, the wonders of trail cams !!
Use to be easy once you got them out of the water you could pretty much get them up and running right there then once you got them home drain the chain case etc. Now days you need a shop just to get at the carbs if you get water in them you are darn near looking at towing it home just to get it running again. I like the new comfy rides but I don't like the inaccessibility when it comes to working on them in the field
I got it going. Drain carb, take off muffler and drain, take out plugs and turn over 1000 times forcing water out of cylinder's, and get it rolling before it freezes up. I still had to take it to shop but at least we got it home.
Conditions are terrible for trapping right now. After record snows we've now had record high temps for a couple weeks. A trail I broke last week still hasen't set up and was fun to follow yesterday. I broke a couple miles of new trail but decided it wasn't worth the inevitable work that would surely come.
Shouldn't set for wolves as the snow is wet and packs…but I still put out three fotholds. very thin layer of crusty snow over the trap so we'll see.
Here's a montage of the last dozen marten I caught. just a real world look at my sets. Not every catch is perfect and the ones that have a marten with a bait bag in its mouth always make me wonder. i tie those bags tight to the back of my boxes so those marten are really tugging, yet head catches. I've used wires across trap triggers and doesn't make any difference to me. bottom line is I rarely come to a sprung trap and no marten so i'm happy.
The mouth bags are interesting. Could it be that weasels are pulling the bags out within reach prior to the marten coming. You have to wonder sometimes just what is going on when you leave. At least you have a bit of margin for warm weather to work off with snow. Are margin has come and gone. Well come to think of it it didn't really ever come. What a crazy year.
I've noticed that the marten that have a bag in their mouth are smaller. I think they squeeze in the box and only nail the trigger as they tug on the bag. I always have to pry the bag out of their locked jaws.
Great pictures , I'm glad to see someone is catching some marten in Alberta ,,, I sure am not putting a dent in the pop's this year.... Our snow is settling to about 3 feet now and has a 6 - 8 inch hard crust making things a bit easier to get around on in snow shoes but still bad for breaking trail. With this hard thick crust it's gonna be another tough year for the deer ,,, the wolves and coyotes are running on top now.
Jimmy it's killing me. My arms are sore from fighting the crust and my legs are sore from pounding down the snow to get some sets in. that heavy wet crust takes some stomping for sure. It's hard to see tracks if the light is wrong. Lots of moose around but deer are non existent and elk in small pockets. A death winter for ungulates
Do you have any picture of the trap design? Interested in the trigger mechanism. It must be deep enought to prevent crushing the wolverine. I bet the inside of that trap is nice an polished after catching a few!
Len - These sets are in different location. We're heading there Saturday to film the captures and releases live. This is the first time this guy has showed up to my knowledge. He was mad, slamming into front of log trap and smashing beaver around. Nothing like some meds to calm you down though.
Kass most wolverines are mellow inside but it's important its dark as they'll work at making a hole where ever they see light.
Another tough trip upriver. A wild winter with crazy temp swings. The record snows quit a couple weeks ago and were replaced by above freeze temps for a solid week. River opened up and ice is rotten. I hauled a big load of building material but was unable to make it all the way because of open water. But temps have dropped -21 today so I'll take another crack at in a couple days. I was able to access one of my trail cams though and had a good cross section of animals wolverine-lynx-wolves-moose.
Took me two looks to see that nice black one up close. A bit creepy even. Always enjoy your updates. Send me some of that cold please. Id rather not worry about rotten ice.
Lynx and wolves are still open though, life is good.
Yup , still have a little time to try and redeem a lost season for me. I'm just starting to see a fair amount of lynx sign , as for marten my season was a bust ... Congrats to a fine looking table of fur , probably some of the hardest earned fur you have in a while .
Today was a great day on every level. My eight year old grandson Aiden, came on the line with me. I ran one of my shorter loops, 20 km, as it was -23 when we started out, and i don't want to make it an endurance contest at his age. Once the grandkids hit 13 I work them like a rented mule.
We set a goal of three marten and I told him I'd bonus him up $5 for every fur we caught, except for squirrels. He had to bring me luck and follow my instructions all day to earn his loot. We hit the first set and had a marten, big smile all around. We picked up a couple more marten in short order and Aiden was adding up the $15 in his head.
Then we hit a marten dry spell as we got into a lynx hotspot. The lynx walked through three trail snares without getting caught. The warm weather had caused the snow to drop a couple feet and my fencing had fallen over. I fixed them up with some advice from him. We had a trailside fire and lunch and continued on. We hit one of my cabins after picking up only a weasel, which he insisted was worth $5 as it wasn't a squirrel, now he's at $20.
We only had five sets left before we hit the truck and he was concerned the payday was over. I told him not to worry as one of my favourite sets was just ahead, but when we pulled up it was empty. Now we were both thinking it was a three marten day. But when we hit the next trap we had a marten, and the next one, and the next one ,and the next one. We ended up with seven martens and one happy grandson, $40 richer. But I'm the one who really hit pay-dirt, spending a day with my boy.
Thanks guys. mountain bound tomorrow, I'm sure those creeks are froze tight. Hope to have some interesting photos when I return. I notice the lynx have started rubbing their faces on shrubs and cut logs. Starting to feel frisky I'm thinking.
Love the excitement of having kids on the line. When I was mentoring a young fellow a few years ago it was like winning the lottery every day. The excitement on his face when he caught his first lynx, fox, wolverine etc. was priceless.
I've been running back and forth hauling building material to my new cabin site. -20 to -33 at nights so creeks finally froze tight. Pulling two sleds a 10' and a 6'. I believe I'm hauling between 350 to 500 lbs a load. I have an overland section through the trees where I have to snake along a windy trail with hills. The new WT is up to the task, except on one glare ice hill. Just a small one but on a dogleg corner so a real pain. Spent an hour yesterday with a come along getting up it but after that it was straight go. i have some interesting footage of a wolverine cleaning its paws right in front of my cams.
I'll post some pics this afternoon. lynx really moving but waking by footholds and snare cubbies. Down on flats in small spruce and willow hunting and looking for love. I'll hang snares on the heaviest rabbit runs this week.
Sorry to see your gear and sleigh down in that ravine Brian ,,,, got the same conditions over here also ,,, although my hills are not as big , I do have a lot of really steep shorter hills , which are becoming pretty tough to navigate , lots of spinning out , problems cornering,,,, going down backwards ,,,, not too fun. Worst trapping year i've ever had , I'm getting ready to pack it all in for the year , but then was out yesterday and seen all the fresh cat sign and decided to stick it out till the end . Thanks again for the great pictures also . Cheers .
I'm in it to the end too Jim, and then some. Only thing that drives me out is the high water in spring. I'm done risking my life crossing raging streams and getting caught in spring blizzards. Good time for a holiday somewhere.
I'm in it to the end too Jim, and then some. Only thing that drives me out is the high water in spring. I'm done risking my life crossing raging streams and getting caught in spring blizzards. Good time for a holiday somewhere.
Yup , for sure ,,,,, Cancun 23rd till the 07 March ,,, El Sids Marina ,,, gone fishin !!!!
Although our wolverine season is over wolf season is open until late March. Good thing the pan tension on this trap is set for a wolf or I'd have been catch and releasing a wolverine. That would be interesting.
Just returned from five days out with my sweetie. The woman out works most of my friends. I know have enough material to frame up a 16 x 16 line cabin. I even got two windows hauled out. I'll haul my interior material and then start framing. I plan on having it completed by spring, but the weather could throw me a loop. The summer access is foot or horse so as long as I get all the material out in winter I can still go back to finish it off.
I've got a decent camp setup for until cabin finished. Here's the outside kitchen
I set up one of my Kifaru tipi's as well. Previous posts talked about setting them up before. This one will be setup for a few months so I laid 3 - 16' 2x4's down on a flattened snow deck. I screwed 3/8" plywood down on top. Very stable and nice floor surface. I fastened most tent tie downs to plywood deck but not quite big enough so put down log sleepers on those edges and tied off to them.
No matter how many years i spend out here I never get tired of the views and the majesty of the mountains. Even the frost on the rocks can change your perspective on a given day.
Tundra like everywhere the lynx cycle here but I have pretty good numbers usually. But I don't have the cats that NW Alberta does, it seems to be a real corridor for lynx.
Great pics brian that lynx will look great full body mounted, I saw one at a taxidermy shop the other day it was done with a spruce hen just starting to fly and the lynx pouncing at it. Had a good day on my last check of the season caught 4 nice sized lynx 1 female 3 males put my total at 18 for the season. Out of 18 lynx only 2 were females not sure what to make of that, not looking to good for next year, no rabbits and all my lynx were very skinny I also noticed they were very wormy, round worms I think long worms about an inch to an inch and a half long. I am looking forward to spring beaver now.
Decoy... I can tell you not very comfortable sleeping on that cooler! The stove is outside as I burnt the paint off of it. I grabbed it last spring on sale, because I really needed another bush stove, like a hole in the head. Somehow I seem to accumulate wood stoves, especially pack ones. This one is cool though, a fairly heavy cylinder, that everything packs into.
Decoy, If you look by the poles you can see I extended two wings of 24" plywood out from the platform to catch a couple more corners of the tent.
RedEarth, the beginning of the decline I'm betting your thinking. Next year maybe less cats, but fatter, the survivors who are more of a generalists in their diets? Including other lynx. Might as well catch them and put them to a better use then starving. Nice season total by the way.
Actually I'm in R&D on a cott. I want one with a back on it so it can be used like a couch when sitting in camp. Another therma rest would make a great back and would provide a dry one that you could switch out daily. Staying warm in winter camp is all about getting rid of humidity it seems. nothing like wood heat to warm up and dry out gear though.
I'll post a pic of finished interior, should be done this week, putting together my next load to haul out right now. Doors and more windows and maybe roofing.
Another run up-river with building supplies for new cabin. I've got the complete framing material and sheathing there now. Plus two windows. I hauled my door on this trip.
I also hauled in my prototype bed - couch - storage unit.
Ouch, never been a horse that couldn't be rode and never been a cowboy that never been throwed, and I got throwed.
Unhooked machine, spun it around so gravity would help and flipped it upright. Put a tow line on and popped both sleds out no problem. kept on rolling.
Passed a set of nice fresh wolverine tracks along the way
Ouch, good thing the Scandik made it across. Could be bad one with a snow machine upside down in water. That camp looks real nice and warm, a guy could trap all winter out of a setup like that. I see the Zip fire starter, i carry it along as well in a water proof jar.
Nice looking camp Bushman, the ol WT tip quick don't they. Glad you weren't hurt. Some thing about a comfortable camp to come home to and like ya said, all about getting warm and dry. Be safe.
Dean - I offer a complimentary gym membership to all the wolverines in my area. That's the chin up bar. Actually a research camera and DNA capture device.
Tundra - ziplock bag for me, I hate the odor and stays dry if the crap hits the fan.
AK - Staying safe is what we strive for but you know how it rolls. My wife and I have this discussion every year. Just load up on the life insurance.
Chicken - I did a search on trapping subject the other day and one of your posts from 1998 on Alaska forum came up! Treat your wife like a queen, the benefits are worth it.
Boco. - short answer is stove pipe too short, and not standard pipe. Lots of welder buddies could fab me one up but tipi smoking hot even with stove higher.
Len - the Kiifaru is just another tip I got off you, amongst many others. One of the benefits of this site is all the field testing done in real world trapping conditions. The floor sections fit nicely in my cross fox when I hauled them out.
I've spent the last month hauling building material upriver on my trapline, in the hopes of getting a cabin up this winter. Luckily my son followed my footsteps and became a carpenter, and two of my daughters also married carpenters. So I told the boys if they wanted in the will they needed to give the old man a couple days of their time. And that's what they gave me - 48 hours. Here's how those hour's unfolded.
Our first challenge was arriving safely as we came upon two moose on the river. Keeping in mind the justified video I was in fear of my life and nearly dropped them both. however I pulled myself together and managed to get around them.
When we arrived on site we cleared off the building site and got going on the floor system. I designed a two section floor as it's easier to haul the material. This cabin is 16' x 16' so each floor section is made with 2 x 6 x 8' floor joists. I sheathed the underside with 3/8" plywood and the topside with 1/2" plywood.
After installing the balance of windows and doors it was time to get a roof on. My plan is to put a metal roof on but I still need to get the material upriver. So we double tarped and strapped the roof for now. When I put the metal roofing on I will leave the tarps down. They help kill some of the rain noise on a metal roof.
We put in 18 hours of total building time or 72 hours total with four guys. Man those boys are hard workers and really know how to put things together. I forgot to mention the air tools froze up day one even under a heated tarp so everything was old school hand nailed.
Pretty impressive Brian. You guys do it right! You dont have enough snow for those moose to give you problems! Once it gets 5 to 6 feet though look out! You can bring that crew north just anytime you want Any idea of total cost sans labour??
Not quite in Willmore Yukon but within 10km of border. It's on my RFMA so cabins are allowed for trapline use. I took 15 years to pick this location, it's a hub. Should have good marten numbers but hasn't to date. A bit of a mystery but the population is slowly increasing.
I've keep material from construction jobs and so do the boys but I have a couple grand into it. The stove is sweet for sure. I bought it at a trapping rendevouzs silent auction years ago and have been saving it for the right spot. heavy little cast iron job with a nice oven. I love cooking on wood
Of course we couldn't get all that work done without our support staff. My wife and a few of the grandkids hung out at the lodge and kept the cabins warm and the supper hot. They even made me some outside artwork
Pretty nice set-up Brian. It's nice to see you getting the entire clan involved, you are teaching those boys & your grandkids more than you will ever realize. I see stories like this and it gives me hope for the future.
It's kind of ironic though Yukon as I trap to be alone. I prefer to go solo and work at my own pace and do my own thing. I find it very peaceful to know I'm the only guy for miles around. But it's great to bring the odd guest along and experience the trapline through their eyes, plus the usual buddies who'll come for their "annual" trip.
I never dragged my kids onto the trapline as my Pa forced me to be a hockey kid, his passion, until I was 7 and refused to skate anymore. I figured they'd come to it if they had the passion. But we have always spent significant time in the bush as a family and they snowmobiled and tobboganed while I ran traps. It worked as they're all into bringing their families out to the line and the grandson seems quite taken with trapping
Very nice construction there Brian. Will watch for more pictures once everything is set up and you settle in next winter. Great view of the river. Is it accessible by boat in the summer or fall.
Barely winter accessable Ron. I wish my seasons were 30 days longer as I can't even access to mid January some years. I can get their with our horses though or a long long day hike. We plan to ride out and finish it off this summer.
Should not have much vandalism there Brian. Worst scenario, heaven forbid is wildfire. Fireproof the area and perhaps a fire break out about 40 or 50 meters from the cabin. I can coach you on fire proofing and fire breaks if you need information.
Sure Ron what steps do you take to fireproof your cabin. I've had some great advice from our local forestry folks but am interested in what you'd recommend
I've had good luck building on grade, winter or summer. This is a well drained pine ridge so there should be little movement. But recognizing it is winter I've left myself plenty of room to get under the cabin. I will use a hydraulic jack if needed to fine tune the level of the cabin but I suspect it will be ok.
Sure Ron what steps do you take to fireproof your cabin. I've had some great advice from our local forestry folks but am interested in what you'd recommend
First step is to clear the trees within a reasonable distance of the cabin. Not a big clearing as such, maybe out a tree length from the cabin, this also protects you cabin from blow down trees . Then as Yukon mentioned prune the branches up on the trees all around the site. Clean up and burn all the ground debris out about 100 feet in all directions, make it park like. You can scarify the ground around the cabin with a rake and then seed it to clover which greens the area up. Keep your wood pile and other combustibles that will start fire from sparks away from the cabin. Out from your pruned area cut a fire guard about 12 feet wide clear of all trees and debris. If there is a spot close by that is a bit of a clearing clean it out for a helicopter to land in case there is a wildfire in the area. Fire crews are now set up with sprinkler systems to protect structures, but only if accessible. Your fire break is an opportunity for the fire crews to scarify a guard to mineral soil and do a burn off. Fire proofing properly is a lot of extra work and ongoing but may pay dividends in the future if you are in a high risk area. That heli spot may serve as medical evac spot, heaven forbid you should ever need that.
What I describe is ideal but any variation of fire proofing may help save your cabin from wildfire should one happen in your area.
Thanks Ron. I have a bit of experience with wild fires unfortunately. twice we've had the sprinklers setup on the Lodge by forestry. They were awesome. Both times we dodged the bullet. One wildfire burnt behind this location about a 1/2 mile away so perhaps it may head off any fires. I'd hate to lose it after all this work. I have a natural chopper landing spot and actually was just in communication with a local company. i'm thinking of slinging a final load into the site in the event I lose my river ice. I've gone from -30 to + 10 in a matter of days.
Heading back upriver tomorrow to the cabin site. Weather has been pretty warm but cooler conditions for a week at least. I hope to finish setting up stove and securing cabin for the summer. I also have a lot of trail cameras out to pick up. Just about time for boar grizzlies to start wandering around so might have some pictures, we'll see.
Sure Ron what steps do you take to fireproof your cabin. I've had some great advice from our local forestry folks but am interested in what you'd recommend
First step is to clear the trees within a reasonable distance of the cabin. Not a big clearing as such, maybe out a tree length from the cabin, this also protects you cabin from blow down trees . Then as Yukon mentioned prune the branches up on the trees all around the site. Clean up and burn all the ground debris out about 100 feet in all directions, make it park like. You can scarify the ground around the cabin with a rake and then seed it to clover which greens the area up. Keep your wood pile and other combustibles that will start fire from sparks away from the cabin. Out from your pruned area cut a fire guard about 12 feet wide clear of all trees and debris. If there is a spot close by that is a bit of a clearing clean it out for a helicopter to land in case there is a wildfire in the area. Fire crews are now set up with sprinkler systems to protect structures, but only if accessible. Your fire break is an opportunity for the fire crews to scarify a guard to mineral soil and do a burn off. Fire proofing properly is a lot of extra work and ongoing but may pay dividends in the future if you are in a high risk area. That heli spot may serve as medical evac spot, heaven forbid you should ever need that.
What I describe is ideal but any variation of fire proofing may help save your cabin from wildfire should one happen in your area.
don't forget to make sure you have a tin roof on your cabin, I know most people do but I have seen some that don't shingles and hot embers don't mix.
Another trip in under tougher conditions. Very warm weather for a week or so and the river has opened up again. Doesn't take long to figure out what type of day you might have
But the wolves were having better luck. Chased a deer down to the ice and made short work of it.
My goal for this trip is too get more material in but more importantly to get my film partner upriver and drop him off for a month. We're looking for more wolverine film plus anything elese we can get. He's a ways past the cabin setup in our blinds but the cabin will be a safe sanctuary should the weather turn or I have to extract him with a chopper. Typically he holes up in the blind for four days at a time and then comes out to recharge for a night. And i thought i was a patient hunter (not!)
We were encouraged to see lots of fresh wolverine sign. A nice fresh urine post
It took a bit longer than usual but we arrived at new cabin site and got to work. I finished up the insulation and vapor barrier, installed stove, put more strapping on roof, setup out-house, rebaited camera sites with beaver carcasses, and then dumped my partner and left.
It was a busy 24 hours. Now I leave him there alone until April 1 and hope for some magic.
Great pictures Brian. Did you have those Northern Sled Works tobaggons shipped down or is there a dealer in GP?? Walter is in the hospital, you might want to go see him.
AV - Metal siding for walls and roof material. Maybe 1/2 log on front. By the way i've built log canins as well. My issue is its's almost impossible to keep them mice free. These back country cabins may not be used for a year at a time and i like them clean when i come in. I sheet bottom of floor system with 3/8" plywood and that fixes them good.
I'm going to see what weather does and if it is still cold enough I will haul myself, if not i'm thinking of dropping a load with a chopper as I'll need one to get my partner out anyways.
What are you guys using on your exteriors? Porcupines and bears are our challenges.
Yukon - Sorry to hear about Walter, just passed his ranch yesterday, I'm down in Abbotsford BC today. I will see him when I go back for sure.
Did you ever go on his trapline? Here's a story I bet you can relate to if you know his son Travis. We go hunting on their trapline chasing elk, using their argo. We leave their cabin early in the morning and drive for an hour twisting and turning through that maze of trails down there. Get to the "hot spot" and split up to look for sign. All of a sudden a deluge opens up and rain falls like a biblical story. I hunker down under a huge spruce and am pretty dry waiting for the rain to stop…but it doesn't. After half an hour I figure I better start a fire while the branches of the spruce were still dry and I get me a toasty little blaze going under the spruce. After a couple of hours of this I hear the argo off in the distance. Awesome travis is coming to get me, after all he sent me it this direction and knows where I am.
Gee the bush is sure funny as it sounds like he's driving away. Yup he took off and drove back to the cabin and left me there. After another hour the rain stops and it's actually sunny and getting hot. Cool, now travis will come get me. By three oclock I figure I'm on my own and better figure out how to get out of there. But is Grey sky coming in, new country, rain has not only pounded down all the grass and erased tracks but is also lying in the trail in huge ponds.
This is pre-gps and it was grey when I came in so was a bit fuzzy on directions. But I had a compass and the road in was west so one way or the other I was getting out. I was relieved to cut a fresh argo track and follow it back to the cabin, soaked from the neck down. There stood the cabin with smoke puffing the chimney, looking like a sanctuary. I open the door and there lay Travis sprawled on the couch, mouth ajar, snoring. I woke him up, rest of story censored.
I have 5 Northern Sled Work tobbogans showing up on Sunday in GP. That guy should be paying me commissions ( Right Dave? ) He treated me good and makes good product. I'm not as keen on the hitch system on the big loads. Anyone beef the hitch up with aluminum tubbing so you could back up with heavy loads? I'm 1000+ on some of these.
Funny story Brian, and I do get it!! No never been on Walts line. Northway made my sled, ( it is very similar to the Northern Sled ) he builds them with a great hitch.....Metal.....will try to post pictures. Yes you should be getting a commission. Sounds like you're moving a lot of product.
I agree on the cabins.....I like mine mouse proof as well.....impossible with logs. Like the outhouse too, I assume it was prefabbed?? I have seen guys use that newspaper tin halfway up the outside walls to deter porkys.
Really enjoying this journal Brian. Last comments reminds me that I need to cover the plywood on my with something. Been lucky so far, two winters ago has a porky visit. The chewed high up on several if the pine at camp but did not touch any plywood.
Keep the pictures coming as you progress. Sending the tin in by helicopter sling will be fun for the pilot. It's like trying to tow a sail. Our son says when he slings plywood he likes to have other materials with it for added weight to stabilize the sling.
Great journal, appreciate the conditions similar to mine. Cabin is looking very comfortable. Why do you put your stove pipe out the end wall instead of thru the roof? Seems like more work and more hazard to put the two 90 degree bends in the pipe. As for beefing up the hitch, I have run another piece of 1/2" UMHW over the top of the tongue as a stiffner (4"X24"). Just bolted it on as an overlay. Worked great on my first sled I built and only used 3/8" UMHW for the tongue.
Good advice on the hitch AK. I agree conditions are similar, which spurred my earlier comment to you " you can ride the river with me anytime" , offer stands.
The wall chimney exit design is grizzly and pack rat protection. they get on the roof and pick away at the edge until they crawl through. If you notice all my windows and doors are pretty high and before I'm down will be shuttered just for the bears but the packrats are almost more of a issue. they often crawl in through roof jacks but walls are more difficult. i'm also not penetrating my attic space which will be vented and needs to be as cool as possible, chimneys add heat .
Looks similiar to hitch I have. You like the pinto hitch? too much slop for me with heavy loads and punched a hole in my snow flap pushing forward. I like a pin and I like the heavy duty block / pin system on the Alaska's
I'd like to see more of Northways product, these guys got me all jacked up on the siglins / crossfox, and i haven't regreted it yet. They're starting to get some attention from the sled heads in my area also, lots of questions at gas pumps.
Hello Brian what do you use to finish the flooring in your cabins? We were at a cabin last weekend that had lamanite it was slippery and was dirty all the time . It did clean up well but i really dont want to be scrubing the floor all the time? Also with the cabin being used winter and summer cold and hot i am worried about its durabilty?
Hard to beat laminate. I've had it down in heavy traffic areas for several years in some cabins and it stands up and cleans up well. I like cork floor if only I could get it cheap, warm and durable. Painted plywood is always an option. Don't use peel and stick floor tiles as they come off over time it seems.
I has lino down in one cabin that got trashed by a bear so bad that I just rolled it up with all the ketchup, soya, mustard, syrup, ect. still on it. That was kind of handy.
I should have thought of that AV. Actually it was ugly. Bear chewed through a frame wall. Started where the propane line went through cabin wall and picked away until it got in. Pulled the kitchen cabinets off wall and trashed insdie of cabin. Finally fixed it with a 330 with safeties on and a can of bear spray coated in syrup. Great plan except bear spray should have been left outside of the cabin, not in. Does give a nice orange hue to the walls though and my sinus's cleaned out everythime I entered the cabin for the next couple years. that crap lingers on.
Relative to flooring. My camp is painted with Porch & Floor enamel (grey) and it is very hard to keep clean. We thought about the laminate but were told it would swell with water (snow) on the floor from our boots. It would sure be easy to keep clean though with a Swiffer mop. The advantage to a painted floor is that it dries very quickly when you track snow in.
Ron I've had it down in four cabins for almost five years. Edges can lift slightly like a 1/16" if right in front of door without entrance matt. It holds up and is cheap. you can see it down here on a cabin floor that is like a roller coaster.
Another advantage of laminate is that it conforms to real crooked floors. The underlay provides another layer of warmth as well. Laminate is a cold floor but unless you go with rugs that's always an issue. But I've been thinking of cork tiles if there was a way to waterproof them better. Very warm and you can get 24" tiles, so easy to pack to remote cabins.
Bushman, Heres another idea for you. Take some foam board and nail it to the bottom of the underside of the floor if you can. 1" or 1"1/2 of foam makes a big difference in keeping your floor warm. They make button cap nails that work great for this. This also reduces wind blowing through any cracks underneath.
My floor is sealed on the underside of joists with 3/8" plywood then insulated with r-20 fiberglass and sealed on top side with 1/2" plywood. I like the rigid insulation for attic tight spots though. it's expensive stuff
I've returned from what might be my last trip upriver on a snowmobile. Weather is in the + temps now and while it takes a while for winter to let go... it's started now.
I hauled in all my metal roofing and pine boards for my interior cabin finish. Once again my son stepped up and helped get the roof on. I also put a coat of stain on, hope it dries by May! I used metal roof panels to skirt the cabin and I like how it finished it off. My next trip in will probably be on foot or horse. I'm pretty pleased to have started hauling material in Feb and have a cabin almost completed.
An all day hike from my Lodge. Horse trails only for now but I have some ideas. Really it's only for winter use but I do ride through the area while we're trekking around so it'll be a good way spot. Notice my new 8' toboggan? I have a 6'-8'-10' now and feel like the Alaskan sled king. I heartily endorse those toboggans and every stick of this cabin was transported via them.
Well done Bushman, projects go together well when ya got a good group of workers. Kinda hard to find them anymore. Not many people think that working and building a cabin in the bush is fun. The rewards for a little hard work are reaped for years. Thanks for the play by play this season. Would love to take you up on your offer for a ride a long but kinda hard to leave here during the season. It's against my religion to leave my post from August thru winter til 2nd week of June. Hunting season then trapping followed by spring bear, dang, that don't leave a lot of time for much else and wouldn't have it any other way. I need to invest in a few of those trail cameras, that looks like fun. Have a great summer. JR
I hear you on the labor AK, lucky my son shares my work ethic, and my daughters didn't marry lazy guys. Just had a sat call from my film partner. He got two black wolves on film today interacting with ravens. Probably one of them chewed the camera. I've got some pictures of them somewhere, I'll dig them up
Off to the mountains to retrieve my partner. He's spent 27 days in the field, most of them in a blind. He's had an interesting few days. He's been set up over a moose carcass down on a river flat. At first two back wolves were hitting it, and one of them was bold. He came out of blind and met wolf on trail. It just stood and looked at him and slowly walked off. Next day he looked out blind and could see it sleeping beside the trail. Hmmm how do you say lunch? Yes he's packing heat and bear spray.
Next the whole pack came in and has been working the carcass hard. He got some interesting interaction between the wolves and ravens. Actually he has footage of ravens harassing wolverines, eagles, coyote, and fox. They think they're the boss.
I'm leaving at 4 am to try and get him out in a hard freeze. Pretty warm the last week and he tells me the ice is opened up. Stay tuned for a full report and some pics.
He got some interesting interaction between the wolves and ravens. Actually he has footage of ravens harassing wolverines, eagles, coyote, and fox. They think they're the boss.
They are smarter than any of the others you mentioned, IMO.
Len, we got a lot of world class footage. Hopefully you'll be seeing it broadcast at some point. Got a lot of wolverine over the last month and some exceptional wolf footage over the last few days.
I've never had a bear break a double glazed window cat catcher but I sure have seen their tracks on the windows before. I hung some bleach bottle around as well.
Boco I had an argo with tracks on standby but it's a buddies and you know how that works, you borrow it and it breaks.
As part of the wolverine research project we've found a wolverine den in the boreal forest, which is a first for Alberta. Wolverine dens in the mountains have known characteristics, just below treeline, lots of fallen snags or debris, good snow depth etc.
But in the boreal the dens are a bigger mystery. So this den we've discovered is pretty important. Partner leaving tomorrow to go film it and hopefully some kits coming out the den. I was surprised to find out wolverine kits are white when they are born. The mom moves the kits pretty regular but she has a collar on so we should be able to track any new dens.
Hey Brian, seen some of the wolverine footage on sat at the High Level Ata meeting, the guys had some of their own cams out as well. That Rainbow Lake area is just crawling with wolverine. I found it neat that the caller does not transmit when the wolverine is in the den, so everytime it stops transmiting he knows the wolverine is in the den feeding.
Matt is doing an awesome job for U of A and I'm proud our Alberta trappers are contributing so much towards the research.
Rainbow lake I'm convinced is a international corridor for animal movements. Historically it has produced big numbers of lynx and wolverines. Part of my goal is to have wolverine quota's adjusted upwards where the population can sustain itself. Like rainbow area. Neat about collar being underground and not transmitting
Is that a hole in the ground Bush?A wolverine was caught incidentally this year on the trapline across the river from mine this season.2 in the Hearst area last year(100 miles west of here) and 2 in the Otter rapids area(100 miles north of here)last year also.It seems they are expanding their range south and east in the boreal forest here.
Bushman, your cabin building pictures are worth SOOO much. Thank you thank you for doing this. I'm going to build my cabin this year based on your design.
Boco - that's the den. there's kits inside it at the time. Partner is off tomorow to see how its looking now. It is just an opening under a tree root system.
When I think about it I'm guessing a wolverine would have a tight entrance to its den. Small enough to deter a wolf from getting in and this time of year even a bear.
Trout - I'm sure there's lot of interesting bush things to do in your area as well. I think all of us guys with access to wilderness appreciate how lucky we are. But usually we've worked for it.
Pretty soon it'll be time to go watch goats. I know an area where they have their kids and there is always interesting happenings up there.
One thing about being above treeline you can see a lot of action. One of my favorite memories is a grizzly hunting goats on a ridge across a small drainage from me. I can still see its long spring hair whipping in the wind. i got some shaky footage on my camcorder. The bear couldn't see the goats over the roll of the ridgeline and the wind was blowing their scent away. The griz missed his chance by about 200 yards.
Love your posts Brian! You live/work a very interesting life in a beautiful part of the world. Millbury sent me a copy of Alberta Outdoorsman......Loved the picture of your sled in the hole! Looked like things got a little western on that trip!
Yukon - those darn northern sled works toboggan slide right out of holes. The curved nose and hitch design don't get hung up on the ice as you are yanking it out...sweet. Another trapperman discovery so thanks guys. I think a lot of us on here live interesting lives. Keep on doing so! Bears making an appearance your way yet?
I'm glad there is an audience for our wilderness stories. It's kind of like going to what you think will be a boring party and finding someone there who is fascinated by your bush life, an appreciative audience so to speak.
I was telling AK Howler ( talk about hard core adventurer) that I had filmed a bull trout spawing with a small Nikon coolpix camera I was packing. I got both underwater film and photos. I just dug up this still shot. Check out this males lower jaw, think he's spawning?
This creek was four feet wide and at 6500', just at treeline, perhaps one mile from the top of the pass, which was the continental divide. The Alberta bull trout is one tough fish, but in trouble in some areas. I've seen a 18 pounder.
Hey Bushman! I sure like your trail cam pics, Parks Canada has some trail cams set up in Ivavvik National Park. Check them out, just goggle parks Canada ivavvik park trail cameras! There's a few nice pics!
Again........a huge thank you , all of you guys that do these journals......excellent readin and learnin!
X2! Yes, another huge THANK YOU to those of you who take the time to take us on your continuing saga of adventures in the bush! I'd also like to say THANK YOU to those folks on this board that also share their lives and those of their familys on Utube! Ryan and Muskrat come quickly to mind!
I'm reading a book that consists of 40 years of aboliginal photos taken by a famour photographer of the time. I like this one showing the size of a birch bark moose horn back in the day. About 1905
National Geographic joins veteran wildlife cameraman Andrew Manske and hard-nosed outdoorsman Brian Bildson as they venture into some of North America’s most remote and inhospitable regions in an attempt to capture unprecedented and extraordinarily rare footage of wolves, bison, and wolverines. Leading their team to the vast grasslands of Canada’s Northwest Territories and to a secluded “Wolf Island” off the coast of British Columbia, they encounter floods, forest fires, hurricanes, and extreme temperatures, and they battle hunger and fatigue along the way.
Hard nosed. Haha. What did you do to impress them with those attributes.
FT Since Brian writes he has to keep a lot of pictures & info to himself.....otherwise most on here would realize how tough he really is!!.....I think they used the term "hard nosed" as a way of describing his toughness........He is one tough hombre, and has more experience in the woods than any two of us combined.
Well said Yukon. Been following Brian for a long time on here. Back when trappeman just got started in the 90's. Your right about that he is as knowledgable as they come in this business and I am sure many more. Was just curious to pull out another fun story from him. ;0)
Well said Yukon. Been following Brian for a long time on here. Back when trappeman just got started in the 90's. Your right about that he is as knowledgable as they come in this business and I am sure many more. Was just curious to pull out another fun story from him. ;0)
Well I know for a fact he has been encouraged to write a book.......I hope he slows down enough to get it done cause I would sure buy it!
Thanks guys, your comments means something to me. Even if I did have to pay you.
I will tell the story behind this shoot someday but I'm saving it until I'm out of the business. I've already ruffled some feathers. But here's a few shots from the shoot
The cameramen loved the bugs
But the cineflex operator was ok while in the air. He can film a close up on a wolf at half a mile away. The cineflex operator did all the car chase scenes for latest James Bond movies. He only worked when a wolf pack was active so he was going stir crazy and flagging down passing aboriginal fishermen trying to buy cigarettes, he had quit years ago.
This is the time of year we start to see bears. I have both black and grizzly. I'd like to settle a question I have and maybe you guys can help.
Have you seen the base of conifer trees where bears have bit back the bark at the base of the tree and peeled it upwards? The white cambium layer of the bark is always scratched in a downwards clawing pattern. I believe the bears do it to access sap in the spring but is this grizzly behaviour, black bear, or both?
I don't remember seeing this behaviour in the NWT where there are black bears only but I may have just missed it. Anyone got an opinion ( dumb question) ?
I read a book many years ago about a guy in Washington state that was hired by timber companies to kill black bears (by the hundreds) because they killed trees by peeling the bark to get at the cambrium layer, alledgedly to eat it. I have seen countless trees that have been clawed year after year, but can't think of ever seeing the trees de-barked in the manner you describe. (We, too, have both varieties of bears).
I read a book many years ago about a guy in Washington state that was hired by timber companies to kill black bears (by the hundreds) because they killed trees by peeling the bark to get at the cambrium layer,
Are you talking about the guy that used the 25-35 for shooting black bears back in the 30s and 40s? Fred Seals was his name I think? Died in the late 80s after an article was published about him in Outdoor life I believe.
You are talking about Ralph Flowers. I met him not too long before he passed, great guy. Wrote several books. lived on the peninsula out of Aberdeen. Snared, used hounds, and still hunted them. The blackies were very ravenous in the spring when they came out of hibernation and went after the nice young trees. I believe he said as many as 40-60 a day were girdled by single adult bears. The thought was that the mass clear cutting changed the habitat enough that when the regrowth reached a certain age that the bears easiest and most common food source was the cambium layer in the conifers.
But to address the question all I can add is that black bear for certain do it, Grizz I'm not certain.... Honestly I can't see why they wouldn't as well but who knows...
These trees are not young ones, but rather mature spruce usually. For sure it could be the cambium layer the bear is after as the claw marks run vertical down the trunk, perhaps in a stripping motion. I have a mix of both bears year round so I can't discriminate based on spring bear usage. If it is a black bear exclusive food it would be one of the few foods that both bear species don't exploit when found in the same area.
What about rub trees? Since I started using trail cams several years back I've come to the conclusion these rub trees are super good spots to intercept all types of animals. I've also started watching for them with more open eyes and keep on discovering more of them. I find that bears, lynx, wolverines, frequently use their own rub trees. But these trees are visited by almost anything passing by, moose, marten, fisher, canids, etc. I'd like to do a documentary on them. They are kind of like the animal kingdom email.
Bear rubs have always interested me. On one trip with a biologist he put a camera up near one, and we did get pictures of lots of critters. I have wondered for years why biologists dont use them as hair traps instead of the manmade ones that shy bears will aviod......Last spring I lost count of the bear trees in one 20km stretch.
I noticed that when I walked my trapline a couple years ago. There were bear rub trees every 5 to 600 yards. Thought I should have seen a bear. Learned not to let your lure touch your marten poles. The bears will carry them off. Found a couple 30 to 50 yards from original location and would have been near impossible to find in the winter. Would be interesting to have a camera on a rub tree.
Is this just an occasional tree? a group of trees close together? any pattern to what you're finding? typically when they target a tree for the cambium it will be between a 10-20 yr old tree from what Ive seen and been told. Also they will go after them in groups usually, strip the bark on trees in a clump. but they will also peel some here some there when they aren't targeting them as a primary food source in spring.
This picture has both, a rub tree and a tree peeled at the base, which is pretty rare around here to find both so close together. The peeled tree is not as peeled as most of them are, but still had the tooth marks in the sap wood.
Where I trap there are dozens upon dozens of rub trees. Some have prints packed into the forest floor that are a up to several inches deep. I used to think that must have taken a long time but I believe it just takes a lot of bears now. I was just in there a few weeks ago on foot and saw the same deep prints going around downed trees that have been down less than two years. The rub trees on main trails are as close at 30-40 yds but most are closer to 100 yds apart roughly. This winter we had a heavy wet snow then freezing rain and a lot of the rub trees snapped off at the bite marks.
This is one that is on an island at a log jam. Interesting as it is in the middle of the river. They must be using the log jam to cross during the high water months. I am 6' 2" and was standing on the snow reaching as high as I could for the first pic. and I don't have small hands either. This tree is different as it is bigger than almost every rub tree I have seen in that drainage. I have seen a few other big rub trees. Also it does not have the bite marks that are also on most all rubs around here.
Another interesting thing I have noticed with brown bears is they will improve their trail by snapping off brush and trees that impede progress. With enough bears the trails are down right comfortable for walking.
I've seen trees like that in SE. I don't recall ever seeing a rub tree specifically, but trees where bears appeared to be marking their boundaries by reaching up as high as they could and raking the tree; he who can reach the highest is the biggest seemed to be the message they were trying to get across.
Aknative Ive never bought into the territory marking.....bears bite/claw the trees in the spring to get the sap running, then rub their winter coats.....any bear that happens along will use them. Ive also seen 4 big boars in the same berry patch.....
Spek - Gary Shelton (?) wrote a pretty good book about grizzlies. He claims they'll often establish a rub tree in close proximity to a new man made structure, like cabin. Your photos above almost seem to support that if those were new rub trees.
Aknative Ive never bought into the territory marking.....bears bite/claw the trees in the spring to get the sap running, then rub their winter coats.....any bear that happens along will use them. Ive also seen 4 big boars in the same berry patch.....
I wasn't sure, but it seemed to jive in my head at the time.
It's pretty common here for them to hang around a remote cabin or tent frame. They have chewed the cabin walls just like they do their rub trees. Back when I was using this tent frame a lot in the '70's and on up into the '90's the bears never messed with it much. Now, they spend a lot of time around it and have several rub trees within a short distance of it. But yeah, I don't think the rub trees are a territorial thing. Pictures from trail cameras I've had out often shows as many as 15 or 20 different bears using the same rub tree within a period of a couple of months. It's things like this trail through the yard that I take as a "no trespassing" sign. When they make a trail like this in a matter of a few hours in a place where there was no trail before, I think they are trying to tell you something.
Man they must have really been twisting their feet Spek, showing you who is boss.
I spent the day reviewing some of our footage captured over the last 45 days in the field. Sorry I can't share that film gold at this point but I do have a few screen shots I took with my phone to share
We had a lot of wolf action over the last week or so. The two youngest members of the pack hung around the most. One of them had a significant wound on one leg. Perhaps a war wound from breeding season.
We got a lot of wolverine footage and multiple individuals. This one ended up being named shaggy.
The research team was able to find den sites by way of the collar downloads. We put a trail cam up and captured a female exiting. This shot shows her butt and the den hole.
Len - That den had a couple of kits in it when they found it. But she moved them after a week or so. they followed the collar signal to a site about 2 miles away. It is a an area about 1/2 mile square full of blown down timber with the root balls sticking up. And it was full of tracks and pounded trails and more dens sites. They found several dens, all empty. They also found a huge toilet site where there was fresh scat and very old scat scattered about, about 20 yards across. The collar doesn't send a readable signal when the female is in the den so they couldn't pinpoint her location, as of last weekend anyways. The more we learn the less we know.
Whitey Lives! The albino squirrel has resurfaced at my home place. Good to see the little fellow survived the winter. I noticed he's pretty quiet, perhaps compensating for standing out so much?
Man this time of year is my least favorite. Spring conditions make it tough to mountain travel as I get rock, snow, ice, gravel, creek, all in one mile of trail. All I can do is plan ahead for summer. We're looking at several different routes this year for our horse packing trips and a buddy and I are already making plans for a sheep hunt in late August. in the meantime here's a few pics from previous expeditions into the hills.
I went out a few days ago and set up a blind on a Sharptail Lek. I went out with my wife this morning at 5 am and watched the show. We had dozens of males displaying and scrapping 25 feet in front of us. Another great show…courtesy of Mother Nature
Go make some new memories Ron they're still dancing. I'd like to bring some of the grand kids out. Apparently the males start patrolling the Lek as early as Feb and up to June.
One of my film mentors Albert Karvonon started out filming ruffled grouse. He's in his 80's and just called me to tell me he's making one last film, yup, on grouse. he's been filming on the drumming log.
I have a lek on one of my fields, the grouse keep it cleaned right off until their dancing is over. I always have a very thin late crop on that knoll. Very cool to watch though.
I found an active fox den last night. While setting up a trail cam a vixen stuck her head out another entrance hole and yipped at me. I hope I get some kits in action in a couple weeks.
My Father-in-law farmed fox back in the 30's, and I remember him telling me that any time the females were alarmed soon after the kits were born, they would kill the kits. Just an eagle landing on the corner of the cage was usually enough to trigger that reaction. They had to be careful at feeding during this time and not allow anyone new to approach the pens, as it didn't take much out of the ordinary to cause them to kill the kits. That tuff of fur in the picture looks a lot like muskrat fur, but I wonder if it may be kit fox fur instead?
its rat for sure, it was still damp, and den is close to swamp.. Farm fox might be finnicky but this isn't the first year I've met this fox. She'll be ok
My friend Chuck Ratliff parted with a few more of his carvings. It's hard to get them from him as they're snapped up quick, and compete with tourist dollars. Luckily he went to school with my father-in-law. He's a retired forester and tons of good stories
I have an interesting month coming up. I'm heading to Iceland this weekend, just to check it out. Only a six hour direct flight from here.
But when I get back I'm heading up to the NWT to reconnect with an old friend I haven't seen since 1987. We're jet boating out of Ft. Simpson and are doing parts of the McKenzie River and then down the Liard and up the Nahanni River. I found this picture of a hunting camp I shared with Floyd and his brother Steve. Plus my buddy Gary who I still hunt with and is coming on this trip also. Yahoo!
I definitely am not in Kansas Toto. Landed in Iceland at 1:00 am our time after 6 hour flight. Toughed it out and trying to get acclimatized to local time. Ate some whale tonight and it was very good. Excellent seafood here.
Bushman Those antler carvings are simply Fantastic. Your friend must have the patients of a saint to do such meticulous work. Thanks for sharing. :oNICK
So this Iceland is a cool place. Whale burger on the menu plus smoked puffin, how much better can it get. Amazing landscapes and changing country every half hour it seems. On moment it seems like you are on the moon and the next you are beside a running mountain stream. Cool and overcast quite a bit but not much rain so far. Hope to get some quadding in and perhaps fishing before we leave.
I see they are flying out of Anchorage, 7 hours to Iceland.
The whale is very tasty and is a Minke whale which is far from endangered. They have some scrawny little mink, wild reindeer, fox, ptarmagin, but not much else familiar.
Trust me 357 you're living a life many can only dream of, I've seen some of your trapline adventures!
I know I am a lucky guy. Hope Lady Luck keeps shining on me because I have a lot more adventures left in me. Hope to go back in sept / oct for a traditional moose hunt with Steve, bringing my son, so he can see how his people used to live.
I heard a lot of old time stories on my trip, always centered around a place or a hunt. I treasure those as much as the scenery and fishing. Steve mentioned a place where hundreds of birch moose horns are hanging in trees around a hot moose hunting lake. He thinks some of them are over 150 years old. We also passed a knoll where hunters had watched for moose along the river for generations. We talked about going up and snooping around and seeing what we could find, arrowheads and such.
When life handed him illness, he made birch syrup—and kept a tradition alive. By Ashleigh Gaul
For two weeks during springtime, every night around seven, Frederick Beaulieu’s white Windstar winds its way through the back alley dumpsters of Hay River’s Boardroom restaurant, crosses a small creek and careens into a stand of birch trees on the other side. Beaulieu’s got 40 trees tapped in this tiny wedge of forest. Going by anybody’s word, he’s the last of the Métis birch tree tappers, and that means he can tap just about anywhere he wants.
Beaulieu might not have fallen so deeply in love with the burnt-molasses taste of birch syrup if he hadn’t, he says, “been born without skin.” Growing up in a one-room cabin near Fort Resolution, his childhood eczema was so bad—he demonstrates how he could pull the sheaths of his fingertips off like thimbles every morning—his parents kept him essentially bedridden; the risk of infection was simply too high. So while his brothers and sisters learned moose hunting and beaver trapping and, later on, left for residential school in Fort Simpson, Beaulieu stayed close to the cabin. As one of his chores, he delivered firewood to the families nearby, and in payment, the ladies of the bush would feed him a plate of warm bannock drizzled with birch syrup. In the spring, it would come ladled out from a cast iron cauldron swinging over a fire, still smoking and frothing with whipped golden foam.
Beaulieu empties about six brimming half-gallon pails into two mayonnaise vats pulled from the back of the van, then strains out the early-season flies, decanting that into a five-gallon water jug. The sap’s just barely thawed it’s so early in the season. It starts to snow. With each batch of pails unloaded from the trees, Beaulieu drives the van deeper into the birch, the raspberry bushes and underbrush scraping shriller against the doors and windshield as he goes.
He skips ahead in his story, past the part where he dreamt that he killed his eczema and it mysteriously cleared; how he learned to read, write and speak English in his late teens and got his steam engineer’s certificate. He says, “I was working for the government and I was drinking too much. Getting hired and fired and hired and fired. So my cousin said, ‘Let’s go out in the bush for the spring hunt. Go out on ski-doos and come back in a boat.’”
Of course, Beaulieu didn’t know how to hunt, so he spent most of his days back at the cabin. “Reminded me of that birch syrup,” he says. “I heard so much about how it was made—you just boil it—but no one around made it anymore, so I tried it myself. I made one cup and man it was nice. Perfect. Next day I made another cup and it was good. Third day I put a cup on the fire and when I came back all I could smell was toe jam. It was coming from the pot!” He cooled it off and tasted it—“Now I know what toe jam tastes like.” He carried it back to town with him and brought it to the elders. Laughing, they said he’d harvested too late—when the buds come out, the syrup rots. “But boy, oh boy, were they happy to see that syrup,” he says, even if it was rotten.
Thirty-four springs later, Beaulieu’s harvested birch syrup near Fort Smith, Fort Resolution and Hay River, where he lives now. At his most productive, he tapped about 400 trees, travelling 160 km, round trip every day, to a large stand close to the Alberta border. He’s registered as the Thumper Creek Birch Syrup Company, but he does his accounting by his losses for each bottle, not profits. “Can’t really sell it anyways,” he shrugs. “It doesn’t work that way. You gotta give it away.”
Beaulieu lowers his pageboy cap and scans his diminutive birch stand. At 75, even with volunteers who cleared a path through Thumper Creek every year, he had to downsize. Last year, he asked the Hay River town council to let him tap in town. He boils the whole batch over four fires in a backyard littered with white vans.
“People don’t [tap] much anymore ‘cause it’s time-consuming,” he says. The light snow has become a full-fledged blizzard. It obscures the Boardroom and the highway. It’s just trees and the pails swinging on the taps. Beaulieu takes a deep breath, as if he’s a hundred miles away. “I just love it,” he says. “I’m out in the bush.”
Great pictures. If you don't mind me asking what river is that in the picture that is flowing over the falls in the rock gorge?
Have you ever read any of the books written by RM Patterson? He wrote one titled Dangerous River that details his travels by canoe and dog team on the Nahanni River in the late 1920's. One of my favorite books of all time.
here in ohio , I know a guy that makes and sells hickory syrup. I have tasted it at his sales at a flea market and it is quite good. i guess you can make syrup out of most trees....
I've just returned from the Alberta Trappers Rendezvous Went on for Two days and had thousands of folks through the trade show and at least 400 folks attended the banquet. I heard nothing but positive comments. I bought a hand made rug for more money than I will admit to, but I think I was setup, based on the stitchery comments.
My favorite moment was seeing this old trapper get an award. Apparently snared 15,000 squirrels in one winter. Also told a story of carving a roller for his old elan track out of a piece of birch wood back in the 70's. These guys are leaving us all too fast so listen to their stories while you have a chance.
Also met a serious collector of Hudson Bay material. Interesting items like trade rifles, knives, axes, copper pots. Ended up buying a Turkish 410 shotgun for my daughters to slaughter chickens and a Savage bolt action 30-30 in excellent shape. Lots of fun.
It was a real good time nice to see you again Brian, I couldn't ask for a better guy to be trapping neighbours with than old Alan I had a tear when he got his plaque. By the way Brian Just wondering how the spraying is going..... :))
Ok you had to bring up one little mistake that will haunt me for years to come. Someone spiked my drink and somehow I became disoriented and thought the sprayer was a beaver blanket and bought it during the heat of the auction for $500. It could happen to anyone…right?
Ok you had to bring up one little mistake that will haunt me for years to come. Someone spiked my drink and somehow I became disoriented and thought the sprayer was a beaver blanket and bought it during the heat of the auction for $500. It could happen to anyone…right?
Yup could happen to anyone lol At least you didn't buy a $6000 dollar canoe. All joking aside you guys are always very generous when it comes to supporting the ata
I wanted that canoe bad and Bill's kids asked me to not bid on it. I laughed and told them their old man was going to have to pay the large for it, and he did!
It's time to get start to get ready for sheep hunting. A lot of guys prefer a late hunt but I like going early. We get a couple weeks of resident hunting before any non-residents competition and I have an outfitter that works my area so I like to get the jump on him. I'm doing a hike - hunt this year without horses. My buddy and I are taking a week and just hiking the hills.
I'm calling this hunt the middle-aged tour. Them mountains aren't getting amy smaller but I have lots of time. I'm paring down my gear to absolute minimum, more for the experience of doing so, then fear of the pack weight. It seems most of the crap we pack is surplus anyways so I'm doin a minimalist hunt.
I will post a few pictures of final gear and setup as I get it together.
(This word is unacceptable on Trapperman)'s Gate is some Tourism department name that has fallen out of use. Sulfur Gates is the traditional name for that area and the one in use now. It's some nice country and I shot my first sheep up that way. As for this year's destination we'll see which way the sheep winds blow us.
Yes you are correct. I have found a legal ram in every drainage from Sulpher gates all the way to Sheep Creek area. I love it in there and miss it dearly. Lots of rams but hard to find for the average guy that does not know where to look. My biggest came from the first crossing of the muddy and about 3oo yards off the main trail. Not sure if anyone even knew there were sheep that close to the smokey lol It would be about 2 miles till the nearest mountain and treed all the way
The rams like the trees for sure. That's a nice heavy ram. I have a ewe tag for that area after sept 15th easy pack if I get lucky. It's tough to hunt the Willmore without access for horses to pack. If we get lucky my wife will ride out to meet us and bring the meat back.
Awesome picture Brian! Man oh man it gets me pumped. i wish I had time to go. I have shot a bunch of rams in there of my own and with family. This one is my favourite. It is my first one. I was 15. Got skunked the year before and worked hard as well. I had to sleep on the mountain in a rain and sleet storm for this one with my dad. I made a lucky shot at about 300 yards straight down which now I look back and think it was a bit lucky now lol I lost the horses on the way down and had no food for 24 hrs and was sucking water off the tree branches for a drink all night long. We didn't expect to run into sheep and it was more of an exploring trip and was not ready as you can tell.
That's a great story Nube and not many can claim to have dropped one at 15! I was still working on caribou and moose at that age. I never took up sheep until 40's. Figured it was too easy if you were young so concentrated on getting out of shape to make it more challenging. My first ram was a smaller one like yours above but any legal ram is a great ram.
One of the first times I went after sheep a young band of rams came running down the slope from about a mile away to this
By the way I'm taking the picture of the 11 rams up above, my buddy is the one pinned down. I snuck down the slope on the right and shot the ram in the meadow at 25 yards.
Figured it was too easy if you were young so concentrated on getting out of shape to make it more challenging.
Have you ever felt you might have over done the "getting out of shape" part of the program? I know for me old legs, lungs and a potbelly have made me earn every ram. Try hunting with an athletic, early 20's son adds to the misery for the complete experience. Lol!
Them son's just make you go harder in order to give them some inspiration Rick. If they see us pushing at this age they'll do the same. My dad is 84 and can out walk a lot of younger dudes. love the guy
Stone sheep hunts are killer expensive. I'd rather have a Dall Sheep from McKenzie mountains
Bushman...While living in AK I got to know a guy that would do 'things' just for the challenage. About every fall he'd head off to the Brooks Range with not much more than a bag of rice a pot and a piece of visqueen. The first sheep was meat for the 3-4 weeks he'd tramp and the second one was meat for home. He may have exceeded his limit by one but I never be grudged him, where he went those sheep never felt the pressure of humans. Best of luck to you this fall. I've got a 20's son in AK that I've told to be ready for a hunt in about 5 years, that way I'll be over that 40 mark!
Actually in truth I don't seek out challenges, just adventures. If I can go on an adventure and do it in comfort I'm all in. I don't need to suffer to enjoy myself but if I have to tuff it out to do something I want to do I'm willing to do so. But I must admit I sometimes question my sanity while out on a sheep hunt, until that one moment….
Don't Wake Me
I wake in the morning grey... and roll out of my sack my neck is so stiff and I can feel every bone in my back
The clothes are still wet and my boots are feeling damp no firewood to be found so it's one cold mountain camp
For a one fleeting moment I question myself and the chase wondering what insanity drives a man to this lonely place
Then in one frozen moment of dawn's golden early rise the beauty of life suddenly before my eyes lies
What had just been a grey sullen and lonely a scene transforms to a painting so beautiful it must be a dream
Golden early light floods across the canvass of the slope now beginning my day with warmth, good humour and hope
Have you ever slept in a bivy sack? kind of feels like a warm up for a coffin. I also don't like mummy sleeping bags. But I'm interested in light weight gear for hunting and have found a few items I'm going to check out.
This tarp shelter sets up with one trek pole and has a zip on front that keeps the wind and rain out, weighs under a pound.
I also am checking out their packs, under 2 lbs. company is hyperlite
Great thread Brian, thanks for taking the time to post. I was stuck in the house all day with two youngsters in 100+ degree temps. Vicarioulsy living your adventures was a fine way to pass the time! I especially liked the cabin build pics and bear tree scratching video! Keep 'em coming! Thanks--Mike
We cut 1/2 mile of new trail around a bad wet spot plus bridged three smaller creeks. I just trim out alongside my trail and cut a series of poles 8' long and throw them into the creek until I get the level I want. I finish off by throwing all the spruce boughs on top of the poles to smooth it out. I've had bridges like this last for years.
One of the bridges allowed us to bypass an area that is getting pretty washed out.
I have a few major river crossings that can cause grief. This spring my one crossing washed out so we had to build a new access. Took a winch to get up first time but we chewed away at it with a shovel and got a decent grade
We did 10 miles of trail but I'm heading back Friday for a week with horses. I'm hoping to cut an overland trail to my new cabin, as for right now I only have winter access via the frozen creek.
I'm thinking there is a lot of harvesters on this site. Who's doing the berries? I've been picking strawberries up until now but have moved onto blueberries. My wife put up a bunch of preserves this weekend and that jam is going to be good on the trapline this winter.
We just had a cougar attack locally. This attack happened about 30 miles from one of my lines. Here's the article:
A fisheries biologist is recovering after being attacked by a cougar late Tuesday evening south of Grande Prairie.
No information was available about the condition of the woman but Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development spokesperson Jamie Hanlon said the biologist, an ESRD employee, is able to communicate with hospital staff and her family.
Hanlon confirmed that a woman had been airlifted out of a camp that was compiling a fisheries sustainability index, south of Grande Prairie in the Nose Mountain area. There is no cellphone or radio reception at the camp, but calls for help were made by satellite phone.
There were seven ESRD employees in the camp at the time.
“We actually had a number of her staff or colleagues that were able to provide her with first aid until the STARS air ambulance was able to arrive on site,” Hanlon said. “On behalf of the ministry, our thoughts and best wishes are with her for a speedy recovery.”
The camp was set up solely for the indexing project, which has wrapped up, Hanlon said.
In the meantime, a team of four Fish and Wildlife officers and a houndsman are tracking the cougar. Brendan Cox, a spokesperson with the Justice and Solicitor General’s officer, said little is known about the cougar, but that it would be euthanized if found.
“They do this because it is a public safety concern. It’s established that this cougar doesn’t act in a way that we would like to see cougars act. Typically they are shy and will leave the area if a human is around.”
Cox said cougars are common in the area.
“Every situation is different but if a cougar does make contact with a human, the best thing to do is to fight back and don’t give up. Generally, people are able to fight a cougar off. Once the cougar realizes that the human isn’t a prey animal then they will likely turn away.”
I just returned from 8 days of bush wacking. Worked my poor wife like she was on contract. Luckily for me she'll do anything to open up new horse trails
I've had several burns go through my line over the last few years. Lots of raspberries growing
I had a bad section of trail where rocks and a year-round running spring caused me problems. In winter my snowmobile will spin out and in summer quads have to bounce up rock ledges. I decided to ramp it and the end result is very sweet
WOW! couple questions: What did you use to cut the trail and how many miles. My son and I cut trails here in Idaho into our elkie areas quite often and it kicks your butt big time in 85-100 degree temps.
I'm very impressed with your wife and you for "get'n it done"
There's horizontal miles and then there's mountain miles. 12 from start to finish but not all new trail. My wife is a keeper…but she better be, so am I.
10 days till you get to that mountain. I would have to start now. Good luck. I see Hoopy got a ram, by the way.............. Wonder if he still want's a goat.
Me too on the Stone sheep Brian. I would trade a bighorn hunt for one if I was allowed to. I would love to get another Dall sheep as well. The last one I got was 20 years ago when I was 18. It was a blast.
Nube - my buddy rides his jet boat up the canyons in McKenzie mountains, camps overnight and drops a ram on the canyon walls next day. pretty easy dall. I'm hoping i can do a real Dall hunt yet up in the NWT but the clock is ticking.
The way you trap and hunt I think you got time lol You live a pretty active life. Wish I could join you for your sheep hunt. I haven't been out for a couple years now and it is driving me nuts. I have 94 hunters coming up this year for waterfowl hunts and that takes me till mid october. Then on the 26th I leave for Azerbaijan to hunt Tur in the mountains at 12000 ft! I guess that will have to be my sheep hunt for the year as I am out of time again. I love the pics in your journal here. I hope to start my own journal this year now that I have a line
Looked at Tur hunt for NZ trip I have on deck. Not a chopper hunt. Good luck in Azer...hope you don't come back all radicalized like those dudes in Calgary.
Good for you on securing your trapline. You went hard resident trapping and deserve a registered line. Look forward to your stories as the season progresses.
I survived my first hunt of the season. We had tough weather with rain and high winds most of the time. But there were moments of sunlight, some rainbows, and plenty of sheep, but we didn't take a ram. The only real good ram spotted was way down in the timber and moving, we didn't even try for it.
My new equipment worked well. The tarp cover system is a little light for days on end of wet weather but it kept me dry. The trick was getting out of the wind
I found a bear bed in the short scrub that was sheltered from the constant winds. Decided to upgrade with a rock fireplace. Dried my hiking boots and socks out nicely.
Just the first attempt nube. I also have a ewe tag after the 7th. I'll be heading back for sure. I'm going after early elk with the bow right now. Somehow my previous bow bounced out of truck and is no where to be seen so picked up a new Mathews bow. Been 5 years since last bow, they keep getting smaller and faster.
I will say, you guys have a (set) staying out in areas like that with Grizzly's around. Hats off to ya. I guess when you have grown up living in an area with them it just seems like another day, but you know you have to be aware. Anyways, hope all up there have a good season and come home safe.
I've been zeroing in the new Bow and getting ready to go after an elk. They should cut loose after this weather breaks. I found a fresh wallow last week and set up a trail cam and a blind. Now for some time and patience to sit in it.
I just received my new Alaska #9's, thanks AK, looking good.
Kusko's post on stove pipes got me thinking about my own cabin project from last winter. I've now spent time out at the cabin over the summer and am pleased with the results. I've had no movement and doors and windows aren't binding, always a good sign.
The location was key as I built on a rocky point which is well drained. I made sure I had lots of pressure treated posts to share the cabin load down to the ground. The posts are sitting on a multi-layer of shingles that I placed on the ground. The shingles last for decades before breaking down and keep the bottom of my posts drier. I've used sections of rolled roofing as well. It also makes a good ground cover under cabins and helps keep mice away as there is no organic growth.
I sheathed the underside of the floor joists with 3/8" plywood, insulated floor cavity, sheathed floor from top. The cabin has been totally mice proof which is essential for me as these line cabins can be vacant for months at a time. It's tough to make a log cabin moose proof I find.
I still have to finish my interior and look forward to getting some of that done while out hunting. Pine (beetle killed) wall panelling, laminate floor, and some kitchen cabinets, bathroom/shower stall. Then call it home.
I've spent a few days kicking around chasing elk but our snow storm was followed up by hot weather, elk cooled off. I'm heading up a major river with a buddy in his jetboat on the 25th for a tent camp elk hunt. I had a buddy from Mexico return for a visit, he came to hunt camp last year and fell in love with the bush. This year he brought his family to experience it. It is a humbling experience to see the bush through their eyes, they are in awe of what we have here.
I have a few days so I'm going to concentrate of getting traps ready. I try to touch my 120's up with what ever spray paint I have kicking around. Tune the footholds, make some snares, and add chain to those new #9's I got from AK.
A few years ago I had a situation at my cabins. A guy "John" was out there, who was the brother-in-law of one of my oldest friends. My buddy hated his guts but had been forced to spend time with him, so brought him out to my cabins to hunt. As we sat around playing dice things got ugly, and a pistol was pulled by John, and I had to cool things down fast. But it was obvious this guy was a loose cannon.
John's journey came to a sudden conclusion last night.
Was reading about this yesterday. One of our retired trappers has a cabin on the other side of Kinbasket Lake and now owned by his family. Thought this may be the cabin but now I understand it is on the road access side of the Lake. I guess he was a bad dude by the sounds of it. Not someone we needed out in the wilderness.
A few years ago I had a situation at my cabins. A guy "John" was out there, who was the brother-in-law of one of my oldest friends. My buddy hated his guts but had been forced to spend time with him, so brought him out to my cabins to hunt. As we sat around playing dice things got ugly, and a pistol was pulled by John, and I had to cool things down fast. But it was obvious this guy was a loose cannon.
John's journey came to a sudden conclusion last night.
While out scouting for elk yesterday I came upon a bear den. I seem to find one every couple of years, usually in some knarly spot, just like this one. Den goes in about 7' and is about 3' high and 8' wide on the backside. It's located at the base of a steep hillside and the entrance faces east. There was a spruce tree about 20' away that had one side rubbed off, must be its scratching tree.
Slow upload Len couldn't get them to load so reduced. Elk are off to slow rut this season,too warm. Cold on Friday so hoping For a cooler week while out hunting. Still using the Kifaru Len, which you turned me on too. But I ripped one of them last winter with heavy snow load. Is it possible to repair them do you know.
I also have been trying to buy a couple of the new Mokai kayaks which wolverine bait introduced me too on here. If I ran my businesses like that crew I'd be broke. Crap service and attitude. They promised me delivery on three different dates this year and basically told me to get stuffed when couldn't I asked for a firm date. I'm looking for a used one now.
I'm just heading out the door for my one week elk hunt. The venerable Wapiti Queen, my buddies boat, awaits me. This old girl has hauled so much game over the years it should be called the butcher boat. Here's hoping we get some meat for the winter.
So another hunt ends. We had decent weather and a great camp setup. Ended up taking the Wapiti Queen and "The Rat"
A 12' muskrat boat that would go almost anywhere…I think I'm in love! I can't seem to be able to buy any Mokai Kayaks for love or money so I'm now shopping for one of these
My Kifaru tipi provided weather tight shelter for the week
but it sure was cold on the river coming in at night
The wolf activity put a bit of a damper on elk calling, they seemed to be everywhere. While out hunting one morning I found this
A young wolf that had been killed by a pack. I suspect a dispursing young male that wandered into another packs territory
Although the wolves were working the elk herd I was still able to get some calling action. I had a bull with three cows going on my second night, he came down to the river but only presented himself for a flash, while the cows pranced along the shore excited by my bull calls.
On Wed. morning I got a bull going on a large river flat. It replied with four bugles and was making it's way too me. I ambushed it and dropped a nice 5x5 bull at 40 yards.
We had a nice 1/2 mile pack back to the boat but it was worth it.
The moose were really rutting, I found a couple active rut pits. My buddy decided to try his new birch moose call out in camp.
we did see a couple decent moose, but none of us were drawn this year so we had to pass them up
But every hunt must end sooner or later.
Later this week I'm heading up some real skinny water in the muskrat to test it out before actually buying one. Should make for some interesting photos.
Good times! Just got back from moose hunting and it looks like the wolves are still the king of the woods up here. Tracks everywhere, heard some as well. The few moose that are out there aren't making a peep for fear of being located by wolves.
We had moose action but no one was drawn for a tag. I came upon this moose rut pit by my nose, I could smell it from 20' away. A moose had just freshened it up by the smell.
Winter arrived here yesterday but it's been nice up until then. Spent a few days on the line getting ready. I'm putting a new tin roof on top of my old cabin. Breathing some new life into it. This cabin has really had a restoration as it was my worst one years ago. My 4 year old grand daughter started crying when I first brought her there. She wanted to go back to my other trapline cabin that she knew so well. She's 16 now and her and her Dad have their own cabin out there now.
I also started getting the wolf traps ready. Bought a case of the new #9's plus a bunch of my existing traps. Boiled them up for quite a while in the log crystals then packed them away for a few weeks until go time.
Nice photos Brian. Great adventures. Just got back from one myself. Thus the late reply to your tipi question. ON the tipi tear. Kifaru will certainly do the job but if it were me I would just pay to have it sewn locally and then reseal the seam like you did when it was new. I had my liner sewn this summer. Had a bit of a kindling chopping error repaired. ;0)
Len - stay away from axes, they know you don't like the! Make kindling with your machete maybe?
I took the tent to a local shop and they said material is too thin to sew. maybe I will check somewhere else. Have you ever put your kifaru up with a rope instead of using the pole? Should be easy and give a lot more space inside.
Too thin to sew? balony. You may have to use some patch material however depending on the whole. You can make that silnet material if you want to get serious.
Not sure how Kif does it. Call they will be more than helpful I am sure. Or go to the Kif forum and ask away. Some great folks there. http://www.kifaruforums.net
I have thought about hanging the tent for sure. With the stove installed however I don't find it in the way. I use it as a hanging anchor point. I usually have multiple wires hanging off the pole to dry gloves etc. I also hang my lantern off it.
I personally sewed the attachments loops on the outside to produce a higher anchor point in order to pull out the tent at head level. And it is something I would really encourage.
Can't find a photo of it on the outside. But you can see what it does for me on the inside. To the rear of my head you can see the pucker where it is pulled out. I have not taken my liner out since I installed it so I sewed it right to the tent at these spots as well. Otherwise the liner is drooping and I didn't want that either. Just a regular sewing machine I got at a garage sale. Hmm you can see the hole I had fixed too. ;0)
I used to use material clamps like shown in the second photo but got tired of them coming off. You can see them in use here. Now their are loops at these spots at each seam if I choose to use them. Placed a little higher however. Love them.
Those are great tips Len, you always come through.
I actually could not see the hole you patched up in your head in that picture so you did a good job, the haircut however is another thing.
I love the idea of sewing the liner inside. It is a pain in the butt by the doors, I am always throwing heavy bags to base of tent to tighten it up.
I agree using the stove negates removing the tipi pole but I use the tent lots in summer and fall. My wife likes the stove 24-7 but when I travel alone I leave it out lots. I am sewing some of those exterior pull tabs on like you did as well.
Those are great tips Len, you always come through.
I actually could not see the hole you patched up in your head in that picture so you did a good job, the haircut however is another thing.
I love the idea of sewing the liner inside. It is a pain in the butt by the doors, I am always throwing heavy bags to base of tent to tighten it up.
Thanks sir, big help. I love this forum
Sorry Brian I wasn't clear enough. The hole in the liner is still visible to the left of my nice hairdoo. It was the one I had sew this summer. The pucker to the right of my head is where I sewed the outside tie loops to the tent and liner. Pulls it back nice at that level. I usually pitch the tent up in close to trees on three sides. I leave some light ganion, about 15 feet or so, tied to the loops that I don't take off. I can usually then get it to a branch or tree after pitching the tent to pull it out.
I like your idea of actually sewing the liner in more along the doorway. Right now it is only attached at the loop ties. I hope to make a small stove to use in the tent for summer and fall use. Just enough to supply heat but leave more room.
My thought for lifting the tent was to string a rope between two trees to suspend the tent from. Leaving no pole needed. Keep me posted when you try it.
Ron I knew someone would get a kick out of that hair. Typical look after a day on the marten line and no shower for a while. ;0) Funnier photos where that one came from. ;0)
I took my 84 year old dad out to my cabin for a few days. Dad like to hunt deer still and the rut is on! Meanwhile I wanted to get the roof of my cabin strapped and tinned before winter hits.
Lookin good Brian! Hope your packin some heat out there. Bears can be aggressive this time of year. One of our clients this year ran into you out in the sticks a few years back. I knew it was you because he said the guy had a real neat teepee tent! He was out hunting sheep in some area where ATVs are banned.....he said you were the only one who could use them in that area?? How did you manage that?
Yukon - I'm allowed to use my machines for trapline purposes but I've never hunted sheep with a quad before. There's actually very little of the Willmore Wilderness that quad access does you any good anyways. It's snowmobiles that would love to get into there. Some guys come in with machines from the BC side but pretty rare as its way back. As for the bear track as it's hunting season I was packing a 308 ,but I've been thinking it's maybe time to pack a big bore rifle on the line all season. More and more bears out there these days, which means statistically my odds of running into one of those hungry winter bears increases. My 22 caliber might be a bit light, even if the Alberta record for grizzly was shot with a 22.
Tundra - Met with a custom boat builder and he's putting together a price for a 14' "muskrat" style boat. Hoping to have a new aquatic toy of some kind next year. I've got to say the folks at Mokai kayak's sure don't go out of their way to do business with a guy. Spend my money somewhere else I guess.
I don't think anyone has bothered to submit them for testing? Certified traps for wolf are not yet mandatory so if they were legal before they are still legal. We can use them in Ontario with notice to the District Manager.
Like Boco says there are no mandatory wolf traps as of yet. And in Alberta there is no requirement to report their use. I still have some pounded up old model #9's but I'm anxious to put AK's new ones to use. soon...very soon.
Just interested in how that works reading other form on leg hold and I have some #9 . That would be a lot of money sitting if I could not use them. Just thought I would ask don't want to get involved in that mess
They looked like a real good trap Yukon when I looked them over. I tried to get some a couple years ago but they were changing up the design. The trigger / pan setup seemed a little finnicky back then. I look forward to your reviews of them.
What's your trap check laws? Ours are 48 hours. I got a ticket once for leaving out traps for 72 hours once, it was -32 the day I checked them and caught CO in middle of his "investigation". One of my brother trappers had made a complaint.
Good job on the pointer, he points the rest of his crew flushes the moose and eats them lol. I got a trail camera pic of 3 grey and a black standing on a deer bait. They look good and I'll be setting for them next week.
I also enjoy the pictures congrats on the elk and the wolves. Your tent is simular to the tent I have down here they are called cowboy tee pees or range tents depending on who your talking to. With the center pole in place I hang a lantern for light and warmth during the fall and winter. Keep up the good work, Stay Safe . Allan
Here it is two weeks into trapping season and I've yet to lay any steel. I've been too busy in my new job as an outfitter to the vertically challenged. This crew was particularily demanding, requiring lots of stories and frequent snacks. For some strange reason we were unable to rattle any deer in despite their advice.
However the snow has arrived big time, it's -29 tonight, I'm wrapping up some business over the next week and hitting the bush hard for the winter. On top of trapping we have filming wolverines, wolves, lynx, on deck so should have lots of action.
Went out to my Skandic 600 and hit the starter and it fired right up.
Elite… way past that stage brother. These are four of my seven grandkids, with another one on the way. But I will mention that for many years I had to force my daughters to come out to the trapline on weekends. Being young girls of 12-15 they prefered to stay in town but Dad insisted. They always had fun once they got out there, and now today they are all eager to come out with their families and happy for us to take their kids out. Like the bible says, "Bring up a child in the way they should grow and they will not depart from it"
It is essential that those of us who love the land share that with our next generation. While it seems that most humans have an appreciation of nature very few seem to have a connection any more. They get their fix virtually instead of doing. Obviously not an issue with this crew but we don't represent the average citizen any more. Here in Alberta everyone figures we are a province of cowboys and farmers when the reality is over 80% live in cities and we are the most urbanized province in Canada.
I'm doing my part to keep it wild. Here's my latest crop learning the way of the 22 !
Great stuff Brian, I had my daughter out in the bush at an early age and at 14 this will be her third year trapping. She has had a wolverine making a mess of her marten boxes as of late and is just excited at the oportunity of catching her first. Thinking of getting her a 243 in the near future so she can learn how to shoot a centre fire rifle with the hopes of taking her deer hunting next year. I hope you have a great season.
Elite… way past that stage brother. These are four of my seven grandkids, with another one on the way. But I will mention that for many years I had to force my daughters to come out to the trapline on weekends. Being young girls of 12-15 they prefered to stay in town but Dad insisted. They always had fun once they got out there, and now today they are all eager to come out with their families and happy for us to take their kids out. Like the bible says, "Bring up a child in the way they should grow and they will not depart from it"
It is essential that those of us who love the land share that with our next generation. While it seems that most humans have an appreciation of nature very few seem to have a connection any more. They get their fix virtually instead of doing. Obviously not an issue with this crew but we don't represent the average citizen any more. Here in Alberta everyone figures we are a province of cowboys and farmers when the reality is over 80% live in cities and we are the most urbanized province in Canada.
I'm doing my part to keep it wild. Here's my latest crop learning the way of the 22 !
Winter is definitely here with a few feet of snow and -30 temps, just what we ordered. Things have been busy with us putting together another winter shooting schedule for our wolverine project. We've been fortunate enough to land a contract to produce a one-hour wolverine documentary for CBC. We've been working on this project for three years now. This winter will be the culmination of everything we've learned and we hope to be the first HD film makers to capture a mother and kits at a den site.
The good news is I need to establish some wilderness camps to base out of, and also get rolling on some trapping this week. Lots of marten sign and wolves everywhere. i intend to put a hurting on them. Here's a few shots from last seasons. Multiple species at one location all attracted to a beaver froze down in the ice.
I'm heading out to the mountain line to set some wolf sets this morning. As I was putting my gear together I noticed my boots are getting a little ratty so I ordered a new pair. I wanted to share these boots with you as I've found them the best all round solution.
The Neos overboot goes over an existing shoe or boot. My snowmobiling buddies wear running shoes in them... but I blend the modern with old. I wear canvass / moose hide knee high mukluks & liners with the Neos overtop of them. They are so warm it's unbelievable. Another advantage is the Neos dry quick at night as they are not bulky. They are also light so when my new ones come in the old ones go into a ziplock freezer bag along with a set of liners providing light weight emergency footwear should I get wet,
A friend of mine manages a helicopter company here that drops tourists on the ice fields. Those are the boots they supply, and they are available with studs on the soles for icy conditions.
Nice pictures Bushman. I look forward to watching the show on CBC.
How do you size those boots? Would I measure the outside length of my shoe I guess? With size 13 feet, If I put these on, I may never need another pair of snowshoes lol.
Nice pictures Bushman. I look forward to watching the show on CBC.
How do you size those boots? Would I measure the outside length of my shoe I guess? With size 13 feet, If I put these on, I may never need another pair of snowshoes lol.
I had a good first trip to the mountains. A pile of snow which really smooths out the trails. It looks to me like there is more fur this year than in years past. I believe that the "big snow" years that we've had the last two winters have helped furbearers.
I had a pack of wolves waiting for me and they had passed about 1/2 mile from the cabin. I put quite a few footholds out, including the 6 - #9' s I picked up from AK. I also hung a bunch of snares. For me it's the first time using light wire and killer springs. I'm finding the hang of the light wire quite different and harder to get a circular snare shape.
But the smaller cable does blend in better and is easier to conceal.
Nikki freshened up the wolves scent post
While I snared several trails being used by the pack.
Glad to see you have snow Brian. I just got in from a month on the line....we have maybe 6-inches total. Even the high country has very little. Good marten numbers tho.
Looks like your having some fun now. What size cable are you using? Are you putting any loading on the Wolf snares. Seems it might help the initial curve on top to widen out the circle. They do blend in well.
If you are using 5\64 1x19,pump the bottom of the loop between your thumb and two fingers to give a more rounded loop.If you wax your snares it stiffens them enough you don't need to do this unless you have big loop.
If you are using 5\64 1x19,pump the bottom of the loop between your thumb and two fingers to give a more rounded loop.If you wax your snares it stiffens them enough you don't need to do this unless you have big loop.
Not sure if Brian does this or not, but he has put more wolves on the stretchers over the years than any 5 of us so my advice would be to keep doing whatever he has been.
Not sure if Brian does this or not, but he has put more wolves on the stretchers over the years than any 5 of us so my advice would be to keep doing whatever he has been. ________
Originally Posted By: Bushman
For me it's the first time using light wire and killer springs. I'm finding the hang of the light wire quite different and harder to get a circular snare shape.
Soooo I guess that is why this post interests me so much. Brian, a successful wolfer is changing snare strategies. He is not doing what he has been doing over the years. That really peaks my interest. I follow everyones methods. But I stand up and take notice when a successful trapper changes up things. And Start asking questions. I am interested as always to find out what make a good trapper tick and why he does and doesn't do something I might choose to do. No better way to hone our skills than to quiz and participate in discussion with experts on here. If you don't ask questions there is a lot of learning left out IMO. ;0) I am interested to hear of why Brian has changed cable size. Gone to Killer springs and what type. I can learn something more from asking questions and offering suggestions on here and it is the fun part of trapperman for me.
Discussion back and forth here is how to improve on a system that might have some initial drawbacks as Brian as stated here. Advice can be taken or not. But the increase in depth that posts like this help new and old trappers will only be increased through discussion. And knowing Brian he will not let us down in his replies that I always look forward to.
I'm going to add this for those having trouble making a round loop. I have used this method but prefer the method used by Boco, mostly because it is what I learned about 40 years ago.
One of our Instructors who harvests wolves consistently every year has a technique he has demonstrated at our Instructors meetings and at several of our convention. If you are looking at the snare he likes the lock to be at about 10 o'clock so it will drop very fast. He uses a "W" at the end of his support wire. What he does is take a very fine wire, a really light strand of copper wire will do, and he wraps it around the support wire, then winds it around the snare cable loop about 8" back from the lock. Just enough wraps so it holds but will pull out with very slight pressure. This will make even 7 x 7 wire make a nice round loop. If you look real close you can see that light wire holding the loop.
I had a pack of wolves waiting for me and they had passed about 1/2 mile from the cabin. I put quite a few footholds out, including the 6 - #9' s I picked up from AK. I also hung a bunch of snares. For me it's the first time using light wire and killer springs. I'm finding the hang of the light wire quite different and harder to get a circular snare shape.
But the smaller cable does blend in better and is easier to conceal.
What type cable are you using, 7X7 or 1X19? 7X7 is definitely more difficult to obtain large round loops then 1X19 cable in my experience. If you are using 1X19 in either 5/64th or 1X16th size it should load very well to form large round loops but you need to apply much greater pressure when loading it compared to loading 7X7 cable. The following pictures are of 5/64th 1X19 cable with a 16-18 inch loop size:
Bctomcat, If the snare isn't properly loaded..ie memory put in the last 12-18" ....the snare will have a teardrop???? Is this correct? Those look great by the way.
Bctomcat, If the snare isn't properly loaded..ie memory put in the last 12-18" ....the snare will have a teardrop???? Is this correct? Those look great by the way.
I don't quite understand what you mean by the "last 12-18 inches". Those snares in the pictures are loaded over the last 7-8" of the cable from the lock to the left. My method of loading a snare is to grab the lock with your left hand and about 7 inches of cable with your right hand. Run this portion of cable, in its natural wire curve, several times over a small round rod or screwdriver that has been clamped in a vise, until you get the desired results. Hope that explains it.
Nice looking snares Bctomcat. Why do some dislike a teardrop loop?
In my experience a loaded snare closes much quicker than an unloaded snare, which generally gives you the tear drop shape. I am looking for a quick closure to keep the snare high on the neck at the base of the skull in the prefer quick dispatch location where the carotid arteries are just under the skin. Also the lock with a loaded snare can be placed in a 10 or 11 o'clock position and when the bottom of the loop is touched will jump closed much quicker than an unloaded tear drop snare in 12 position which can be touchy in windy conditions.
I appreciate the comments. It's 1/16" cable, super light. I load snares exactly like you describe BCtomcat but I'll give your method a try Boco. I didn't build, or load, these snares, they have more parts than a small car. On my usual snares I have no problems getting a nice round shape. But wolves are tall and thin so bit of a teardrop shape should be Ok as long as loop is high.
Fair question Len. I haven't totally committed to this new style of snare. But one of the advantages of living in Alberta is we have one of the few trap testing facilities in the world so we get exposed to new product. Plus we have a bunch of innovative trapper / inventors like Marty Senneker who came up with this killer spring design.
I've got buddies using this design and they really like the light profile and have a lot less snare avoidance. I don't know about you guys but I notice that wolves get more and more wary season after season, especially if using same bait pile sites year after year. You still will nail wolves of course but lots of solo's it seems.
I'm into changing things up and keeping them guessing. I have beaver / fish combo inside 5 gallon pails that have been percolating for years. You can walk off the creek or trail and hang them in a good location. Back off at least 20 yards and shoot some 22 holes into the pail. It'll pull wolves in.
I also pay attention to every wolf trail I see on my traplines. And I will prospect for good snare locations in the off season and block off trails for future snares. This fall I went for a hunt along a ridgeline and noticed a saddle that would be a natural funnel. I went back this week and the wolves are using it as evidenced by snow trails.
But it's the footholds that really fascinate me. Our 48 hour trap check law makes it difficult to really make it economical to foothold... but I sure like it. But, for example, I have a dozen footholds flipped over right now because I knew I couldn't get back in 48 hours. But my snares are still working for me at least.
Ron - I recognize that McBride trapper. He's another one of those innovative trappers. He showed me a bunch of his cardboard marten boxes. His line is actually pretty close to mine as the crow flies. I've used wax thread to get that loop instead of the thin wire, but too much hasssle for a snare.
These killer springs are a test. I know that I can swage a toothed camlock snare onto #9 wire and still kill wolves all day long. And some of those will be getting set this week as well.
I had put this up in a post a few years ago but I will add it here as it pertains to the discussion and it should add to the conversation. Brian if you want the post moved to a new thread just say the word. My take on loading came from models of prebuilt snares I got from Rally Hess. A master snareman and someone that believes heavily in loading. The terminology and such that I put on here is my own concoction to make it more clear. The cable I am using is 1/16th 7 by 7 and prone to be a teardrop. I post this here to show that loading can have huge affect on shape. Yukon you ask why people dislike a teardrop. A lot more taken with tear drop than without that is for sure. But that comes from far more snares being made without than with IMO. As well as trapper not knowing how to load them. I use the same method as Bctomcat. When I look at a teardrop I see a snare shape exactly opposite of the shape I would want for the target. A large mass going in on top. (the head of a wolf or lynx) and a large opening on the bottom. (the feet). Creating a snare that I believe would be more prone to a leg being alllowed to enter the snare with the head. It just feels better to me to have the rounder shape. And one more conducive to the head up high in the snare. And I think you can get by with a smaller opening as so much of the loop is not having in a non target area. Creating even more weight on the snare distorting the shape. I like the idea of having the large opening up high where the head is entering. Also it covers a wider area of the trail where the target is coming through. (the head). That can't hurt. But more importantly is the speed. You have to drag closed a teardrop shaped snare all the way to the end. Compared to a loaded snare that naturally wants to close. Causing less pull on the animal and less likely for detection and backout.
Example of a 7 by 7 1/16 inch cable snare
Take that same snare and build in some lift on the cable behind the lock and you begin to get a shape that opens up the snare for better head entry.
Take that same snare and load and shape it and you will end up with this. Granted this is not a wolf snare but I bet you can go a long way to opening up the shape and make it a lot faster with loading it. The picture like the ones above were taken with the snare held vertical not laying down. This is the hanging shape. I achieve this by loading and shaping. The loading and shaping zone are described on the box.
Heavily loading the first inches past the lock dictates the direction of the cable as it circles around. I like to shoot for a horizontal direction rather than the slanted one you get with a teardrop. I continue to load further but with a lot less pressure. I also like to shape the cable in the shaping zone as well to round out the opposite side. Done the same way as loading but with a lot less pressure. And wow fast in comparison to a teardrop is saying it lightly. You just can't compare how a teardrop snare closes compared to a loaded snare. A
Here inlies the issue you have to be very careful when loading snares. Many snare you build are not set up to take loading. Thus a good reason to make your own. When you load heavily you need to account for the curling of the cable within the lock. Compare the two photos below. This snare can not be loaded.
This snare can be.
Resulting in this.
When I look at this snare I see a small opening that could possibly brush up agains the side of a wolf's head and cause him to defer to the right or left or even back out. haha. Watch you will probably get a perfect catch in it. ;0)
Hopel this helps some guys new and old to snaring. Brian I hope it adds to your journal. We can move the discussion on loading to a new thread if people are interested in carrying it on further.
I actually don't worry much about forcing head direction for wolves. They're so big they'll just brush aside most twigs, branches if they want. These are natural branches that were on existing trails that i actually don't want to remove. But I'll add trap anchor logs / scent posts / or trail obstructions if I have a few months for the wolves to get used to it. I'm more into putting the snare where the head will be naturally as the wolf moves down the trail. Having malamutes for decades puts you into sync how big dogs move maybe.
That snare photo you clipped and posted is why I was complaining about the loop Len. Try and get 1/16 cable to hang round, loaded or not. I'm thinking Ron's method of using light wire might be best if I stick with these snares.
1/19 I would assume? But looks to hang like 7 by 7. I would be interested in seeing one of those big wolf sized 1/16th inch snares loaded up heavily. Certainly if you had the top of the teardrop wanting to head in a horizontal it would give you some additional surface area covered on top. I am surprised that 5/64 is not the preferred cable for the killer springs. Not much margin for error on the 1/16th if they get a chance to fight much. Will be great to get your assessment on how they work.
This is the first time I have noticed the "trigger apparatus" used with the killing springs. Are your snares equipped with these by chance? http://www.snareshop.com/prodinfo.asp?number=SPTRIG After your snare is built you compress the spring with the Senneker Setting Tool and hook the trigger over the spring. Once the snare is around the animals neck the spring will fire resulting in a humane kill.
So the animal does not have to compress the spring when pulling. It is precompressed and then exerts additional pressure when the snare is pulled to its tightest, releasing the trigger. This happens from the final stages of pressure from the animal pulling. A lot of extra gizmos for sure. But if it allowed you to use 1/16th inch cable for wolves I can see where it would be very advantageous. Not sure how these would work to create a loaded snare. Have to experiment.
You can set the spring without the senneker tool with just a pair of plyers once you anchor the snare. you slip jaws of plyers a bit loose over snare cable and pull towards you until springs compress and you slip lock on. One slipped and nailed end of my finger! OUCH
Lots of good info there Len. Most of the wolf snares I use are built where only the loop is cable, the tie end is #9 wire. Since the cable is all used in the loop you can bend the tip of the #9 wire up and really keep the loop opened up.
The best advice I ever got when it came to snaring wolves was from a guy who averages 25-30 a year. He said the biggest mistake guys make is messing around the set to long trying to get the loop perfect, and leaving to much scent in the process. His motto was hang them and go. He also set his snares pretty high.
I have always felt that when guys get a front leg through they are setting to low. Dont have any good pictures but I set my wolf snares pretty high, and seldom ever load them. They do have more of a teardrop shape than the loaded ones pictured here, but not nearly as much as the last picture Len posted. That is a pretty drastic teardrop, and not the type of location I would set a snare.
but not nearly as much as the last picture Len posted. That is a pretty drastic teardrop, and not the type of location I would set a snare.
Okay Brian were all placing bets on this set whether it can produce a wolf if he comes by. Then we will have a host of new ammunition to talk about. ;0) Keep us posted on this set. Any follow up pictures will be appreciated. Discussion on trapping is better than no trapping at all right now. ;0)
So are you 5' tall or 6'6" ? How high are your knees? LOL
I'm 5'10" and the snare height is actually higher than my knees. If a coyote walks under my snare I figure I'm doing something right. I want the bottom of snare to just hit under the chin.
I like the bottom of the loop to be 16-18 inches off the snow, higher on downhill grades or anywhere I think a wolf will have his head up high looking ahead.
I set mine at least knee high and heavily loaded and caught a fox yesterday. He was running wide open down the trail by his tracks and I got him mid jump. will be interesting to see if the 1/16 holds up. When I get this 1/8 used up I'm going to try smaller but maby not that small. A guy talked me into 1/16 with power rams and I lost 3 wolves before I got them all switched back.
Posted By: Anonymous
Re: Mountain Journal 2014 - 12/13/1405:20 AM
Just saw this..holy whatever a great word is to put here...!!!!!
The landscape.. Oooh the lands,skies, snow..the everything there is soooo incredibly beautiful. How are you breathing! It's breathtaking!
Enjoying this thread already as well and will continue reading each page like eye candy!!!
Bushman- I'm still a snaring rookie but I use Marty's system on coyotes. If you bend the cable at the S hook it rounds the loop out quite a bit. My apologies if that was obvious to you but I couldn't tell in your pics if it was bent. It makes a pretty big difference.
Great pics Brian, how's your marten population this season? Seems their down in the northern part of the province, most guys i have talked to are down 50-75% from previous years.
Great pics Brian, how's your marten population this season? Seems their down in the northern part of the province, most guys i have talked to are down 50-75% from previous years.
I'm running %25-30 catch rate on my checks every 10 -12 days. Not sure if that is good or not or tells you much for numbers but that is what I am finding on mine Tundra. I figure thats pretty good but better would be fine by me as well.
Great pics Brian, how's your marten population this season? Seems their down in the northern part of the province, most guys i have talked to are down 50-75% from previous years.
I'm running %25-30 catch rate on my checks every 10 -12 days. Not sure if that is good or not or tells you much for numbers but that is what I am finding on mine Tundra. I figure thats pretty good but better would be fine by me as well.
With kill traps I can check whenever I want to. With my shift schedule sometimes it works out to every 10 days for me yes. No big deal if it's freezing out.
Just back from the hills, very beautiful with lots of hoar frost on the trees.
Tundra - Marten numbers seem to be up actually. I'm seeing them in spots I haven't before. Also my buddy Rick reports the same increase on his local line.
Rich - If BC Ron can have pink traps why not red for me? Actually I wanted to see if there was any avoidance or attraction to the color red. I painted some lynx sets as well and it doesn't bother them either.
I'm taking a pretty casual approach to trapping so far this season. I haven't set a trap yet on my foothill line, I went hard there last winter in anticipation of high marten prices…and we know how that worked out. Still got a freezer full of marten pelts. But I am looking to kill wolves, but my mountain pack is on a walk-about right now and weren't around the cabin the last few days.
In the mountains you have to be careful where, and when, you place sets. At this time of year you can get access one day, and have open water a few days later. Last week I drove my sled right across three frozen channels to get to the cabin, this week I have open water. My wife hates driving her snowmobile across water, and it's not great for the machine either so I built a few bridges, again!
This channel was pretty small so I saw up a bunch of small spruce poles. I place poles across the channel and cover with all the boughs. Later on I may shovel snow and throw a bit of water on it for a bridge that'll last until break-up.
Looks like it was a heck of a project! I hate water in the winter with a passion and I feel for your wife! Fortunately I only have two crossings and both of them freeze hard early.
I see we lost three in western alaska to open holes that should be froze. Didn't help that Alcohol was involved. Going to be a tough year if we don't get some cold.
I see we lost three in western alaska to open holes that should be froze. Didn't help that Alcohol was involved. Going to be a tough year if we don't get some cold.
My worst year ever and your 100% correct alcohol aint helpful and these Bahama temperatures are ridiculous
The data is starting to come in from the satellite collars on the wolverines. Some of the researchers have back-tracked to areas where the collars showed "clusters," areas the wolverines hang out in for extended periods. So far they seem to be focusing on areas with lots of snowshoe hares. It'll be interesting to see if that changes as the winter progresses.
Now the work begins. Hauling it in is an all-day-job, just to get it to stage one where I'll be storing it. It's going to take another day heading upriver to get to it's final resting place. Once the creek freezes harder. Tip - cut legs off.
Bait AK. My son and I hauled two road kill moose in. Those Alaska sleds slide a moose around like nothing, I'm still impressed with them.
It's been my slowest year starting ever, and its by my choice I guess. I decided not to harvest on my foothills line this winter, which I usually trap heavy Nov / Dec while mountain trapline is freezing up. However last year I hit the line hard in advance of a major logging project and took a lot of marten as I figured they were loosing a significant amount of habitat. This year as marten prices are probably low I decided to let the line settle and see how the fur adjusted to the new landscape.
But here's something of concern for me. I've been participating in a research project. I send my furbearer carcasses to Phil Thomas at Ottawa University for analysis. Phil is studying the presence of industrial toxins in furbearers. I had the dubious pleasure of being told my fur has some of the highest toxin levels he's found to date. For those of you who know Alberta we're talking the Kakwa River, which has a reputation as a wilderness river. But is interlaced with oil and gas facilities.
The marten had high levels of an industrial rodenticide ( mouse poison) that is not available to the public. From this I surmise that the O&G companies are hiring professional exterminators to poison up all their facilities to reduce mice or else the companies themselves have access to a poison not on the shelf to consumers.
So these poisoned mice are being consumed by marten and building up in their system over time. This cannot be good for furbears or birds or anyone scavenging on mice. Another example of small actions that can have big outcomes. I intend to follow up on this and make my trapping association aware of the situation.
After meeting with an oil company and seeing how much is going on in Alberta especially on my line I am utterly disgusted on what is going on and this news makes it worse Brian. This province is getting raped plain and simple and nobody seems to care much. The Gov't needs to give it's head a shake and take a look at things. My line is getting torn up left and right and I am slowly loosing my line
Wow, that is weird and concerning about the toxic levels. Hopefully the research people will raise the flag and find where it is coming from. That can't be good for any wildlife or the ecosystem.
I don't think we should knock Alberta too much. Industry has funded much of the research and my friends who work in the oil patch care as much as the average person. Recognizing our government isn't going to be kill the golden goose it's up to voters to speak up. Realizing that voters are not going to kill their own personal golden goose, makes me think we're all cooked.
Except we are a noble species despite ourselves, and I am an optimist.
I don't think we should knock Alberta too much. Industry has funded much of the research and my friends who work in the oil patch care as much as the average person. Recognizing our government isn't going to be kill the golden goose it's up to voters to speak up. Realizing that voters are not going to kill their own personal golden goose, makes me think we're all cooked.
Except we are a noble species despite ourselves, and I am an optimist.
I'm thinking the way it is going there won't be any more funding. The reason is there won't be any habitat left for any animal to live in this province the way it is going. Study them all you want but when they all start to dissapear we all know why. Nothing we can do about it really. Your comments on toxin levels proves exactly what is going on and you are in some of the most prime , clean areas in Alberta even. Wonder what the toxin levels look like around Fox Creek lol
Actually industry might be the salvation, unfortunately. We are on the cusp of conservation off-sets in Alberta. I've read the white paper as presented to cabinet and Industry.
A conservation off-set is when the government requires industry to replace disturbed habitat with a piece of habitat of equal conservation value. It can be complicated when you're replacing a wetland fen with a piece of natural grass prairie but I've seen some models that make sense.
The land that is purchased for the conservation off-set is in the white-zone area ( private land) while the land disturbed is crownland ( public ) The disturbed land remains crown land and over time the hope is the industrialized land is reclaimed after each industry is finished its cycle. So long term we could end up with more public land. And yes there is enough marginal private land of every type to provide the needed landbank for the disturbed crownland.
I want to take this opportunity to wish Merry Christmas to all of you. I don't patronize many "forum's" as time is precious but this one has always been home. And many of you have become as close to a friend as we can be in a virtual world. I love that we're keeping the traditions of trapping and living on the land alive.
Cheers to you as well Brian. You are a great asset here on this forum and I appreciate your comments and knowledge shared. This is a great forum with a lot to learn.
Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year to you and your family also Brian. We have have shared many a season on this forum and your right about our virtual friendships. As someone who travels for work, and play as often as I do it is nice to have familiar people to touch base with on a regular basis. Thanks for your continued posting of your line and photos.
Ok finally holidays are wrapping up. Topped off with the celebration we held today for my folks 60th wedding anniversary. A great time but I'm craving some bush time.
I was going through my gear and thinking about the dude in the other post who survived a dunking and three cold days before being rescued. I've got some standard gear that I pack around in a soft cooler style pack. The pack sits in my sled rack and can be easily accessed if the crap hits the fan. Hopefully there's enough in there to keep me going. I have a change of cloths and footwear in a dry bag.
GPS - Headphones - Satellite phone in water proof pelican - 3 trail cams - spare glasses - leatherman- working man hand cream - battery pack for additional charge - extra batteries - Norma Knife - headlamp - bag with fire starter, matches, glass cleaner, napkins, jerky, & cyanide pill.
I am not sure what you use up there for fire starter in your survival kit? Here I use a doubled ziplock baggy with a lighter and some cubes of self light charcoal. They light instantly and stay burning until wood is added and then some. Do you have something better? Thanks, Osky.
Might I ask what you use for a snowmobile tote? Hubby and I live of the grid in the Maine wilderness and though we have one of each (except the smallest) of the Otter totes, we have issues with them. We haul a couple hundred pounds (sometimes lots more) at a time and all winter long. Using those is how we snowmmobile our supplies in during the winter months. Winters are long up this way, especially due to our proximity of Mount Katahdin. While the Otter totes are rugged, the plastic runners that prevent the sled from zig-zagging, crack and break off, and the hitches are always losing the pins, or we bend them. The hitch pins just simply come off on their own, which is furstrating to have to keep replacing them or have to back-track to find where we lost the tote! Though the tote itself is rugged, the rest of it does not hold up to our usage here. We need something more rugged. Somewhow, some way. So, I am looking into other more dependable options. Any suggestions? Anyone? Usage can be seen at our Facebook page, Willey's Dam Camp if that helps anyone. Thanks a bunch for any and all suggestions. We're not novices at living here, but hubby is disabled, which compounds the challenge of this lifestyle. I am a woman who does most, if not all the "labor", and I am tired of replacing and reparing goods that normally would last most people for a life time, but here, we are the real deal. We are not the "Weekend Warrior" type people. We are lucky if anything lasts the winter in here. It seems that nothing is made durable to enough for our usages of them. That information may help you understand what we need, maybe?
This product from Alaska Sled Works is bullet proof. I did 10 miles yesterday on trail and river with a light load - 25 ton log splitter, dead deer, 12 wolf traps, and a malamute in her rolling kennel. Pulled like nothing was there.
Some good firestarters are cotton balls coated in Vaseline. Can keep in ziplocks, Germex or Purel due to their high alcohol content, pinecones and birch bark due to their oils are great, too.
The 100 % pure cotton balls with Vaseline massaged into them is my go to fire starter. You can drop it in a glass of water, wring it out, and a spark from a fire striker will ignite it. You need to make sure you use 100 % cotton, the synthetic ones will not work.
Just got back tonight from a couple cold days on the line. -38 this morning plus a bit of wind chill. I'm dedicating January to trapping so cold weather or not I'm hitting the trail. I spent the last couple days reactivating and adding some more wolf footholds. I also got a few dozen lynx sets out.
Today, my son was out with me, and we saw some fresh tracks where a lynx was hunting bunnies. I put one of my lucky red #3's out with a rabbit hanging over it. When we came back a few hours later I had a nice sized tom waiting.
That is fast! I put out 2 foot holds for 5 days for Lynx but no takers. One place was under a marten box where a Lynx had been very recently, so I set there with some beaver, but no go. He walked by about 50 yards away.
It was quick! I'm with you guys though...It's much more typical to have walk by's or half committed lynx walking part way in to the set this time of year. I find that the last 3 weeks of lynx season are when your efforts are best served here in Alberta.
My Kakwa line only goes as far west as the Redrock, coyot. Spent quite a bit of time horse riding out by the falls.
Jimmy- on my bucket list. 442-444, lots of cats. I meet guys with hounds pretty much every year.
My hounds are pretty young but , we are always up for a challenge I'm game if you are .... And now I got a sled that can handle the kind of country to get to play in all the time !!! LOL
A friend of mine filmed a 3 part documentary showing on CBC and PBS this year. Part of the production was filmed on my trapline. If there's an owl in the scene it's my line! This looks to be a fascinating look back at man's journey through time.
The producer Niobi Thompson is also an anthropologist who loves indigenous cultures throughout the world. There will be lots of traditional hunting and fishing sequences in the documentary.
Man it's good to be back trapping again. But the weather has been warm and windy ( chinooking) My wolf traps were all exposed after 18" of snow melted in three days. It also left a layer of ice on the trails so I have to pin it to get up the hills but going down can be dangerous.
I was packing a moose, deer, and two beavers in big blue, my beautiful 10'er so I had some weight behind me. After one close call where I had to race down a hill to prevent the load from pushing me I decided to "chain up" I wired a couple 120 belilse under my ski's right where the pogo's come down. It worked unbelievably well.
Even got to spend the morning skinning. I added a bucket of 22 bullets to the pic to make you drool. I understand they can be hard to come by these days. No shortage so far here
That's just mean with the bullets lol. I was in Louisiana last March at a hunting show and cabelas got a semi load of 22 shells in and they were gone by 10 am. There are guys with thousands of rounds that bought them instead of stocks.
It's been a tough stretch of weather. After a perfect start with lots of snow and - 30 weather we get slammed with above freezing weather for 3 weeks straight and blasting chinook winds for many of those days. Snow dropped fast and ice became an issue
I knew better than to drop down over this set of switchbacks.. as I'd never get back up. I really didn't want to hike down the 1/2 mile to check a couple snares,
but I'm glad I did as I had a soaking wet cat waiting for me
it turned out fine ( far right) even though caught in the warm conditions
I actually had to cross lots of open water as my trails on river ice disappeared. My wife doesn't like water skipping and I ended up almost sinking her machine. Let's just say if there's any contests for pushing snowmobiles across creeks I might be a contender. The belt started slipping half way across a 50' open lead so I jumped off and kept pushing while I still had momenteum. Water was thigh deep and brisk. I got it right to the river edge and it was still running so all good. I dragged it up on shore and left it running half an hour and the belt dried out. Back on the trail again.
This weather is something else, glad you got out and home safe. One Trick I've always used on my sleds and Polaris 4-wheelers is to put them in neutral and rev the engine and that dries the clutches and belt out rather quickly.
Buddy mentioned same trick today. Also said in old machines without neutral pull muffler off and let exhaust ( heat) dry things off. I needed the 1/2 hour, went back across to my cabin and put dry gear on. That Crown Royal looked tempting for a moment as well.
I asked my same friend, who actually is my mechanic, about studding the track. Challenge getting studs in tracks with the paddles but might try metal screws on end of paddle, worked on my quad tire tread. He also suggested getting a welder buddy to make metal aluminum V shaped insert that goes over paddle and bolts onto track. Lots of mountain sledders around here so kind of an innovative bunch, me I'm a carpenter and leave the metal work to buddies .
Crazy winter here to Brian, finally getting a little cooler. Last week for the first time ever, I ran 50 miles in a rainstorm, hard rain too....in Jan! Only good thing so far is marten numbers have exploded.
That is some crazy turn of events in your weather Brian. We never got the snow part. ;0) A guy has to wonder is anything we used to be able to count on in winter a thing of the past? Two years in a row a guy has to wonder what is to come.
Crazy weather continues. I've had at least two feet of snow in the last week. - 20 right now and going up to +5 ( 40 degrees F ) temps by weekend. I've got a dozen wolf traps under a thick layer of ice to chop out now. The heavy snow has insulated the open water on the creeks so lots of overflow and running. But what the hades, we're trappers.
I had the pleasure of hosting a couple biologists from Alberta Conservation Association who are working on the wolverine research project. They were treated to a wolverine buffet scene upriver where they've been hitting my baits in preparation of our filming. I've found wolverine like beaver best, followed by lynx, deer, and then moose. I'm getting decent trail camera images.
One interesting thing I noticed is the wolverines avoided the river during the melting conditions. They totally abandoned the river as a highway and stayed on the high country.
Great pics Brian. Hope the weather cooperates with ya the rest of the season. Picked up a couple Moultrie M-880's and Solar camera powerpanels myself. Kinda excited to get them out and working. We've always used loops of chain for the skis on the sno-gos and sleds. Pretty neat how you can go from out of control to having to power down the hills with chains on. I carry a 40" piece with a caribeaner on each end for my siglan sleds and just drive over it and hook it to a rope loop on each side about 1/2 way back on the sled. works great for coming down those glaciated creeks in the mountains. Have fun and be safe. Heading out myself in the morn.
Just finished up reading through your entire thread...incredible! Thank you for sharing your adventures, I look forward to checking in on your threads regularly.
Despite the wackiest and warmest winter weather I can remember the wolverines are still moving about on my line. My cameraman is up on the NWT border this week filming at some of our other gulo hot spots. But after next week we'll start putting some camera time out in the hills.
One of the male wolverines that was collared suddenly stopped moving. My cinematographer and the biologist tracked the collar down and discovered he'd been killed by wolves.
Wow. Was all that was left all that is in the photo. The mouth full of snow. Seems unnatural. How could that happen. Or did it get wind blown in to his mouth. Looks like you have enough for a head mount. ;0)
It looks like a pack came upon a wolverine away from the safety of a tree. This is what the gulo looked like after the encounter. Apparently it put up a good fight but didn't have a chance. We've been tracking this guy for a couple of winters now but it ain't easy being a wolverine
A bit of background on this research project. Three partners- Alberta Trappers Association- Alberta Conservation Association- University of Alberta
We are looking at a large portion of North Western Alberta, that seems to have a very healthy wolverine population. This boreal region is fairly flat with mixed habitat of muskeg meadows, lots of creeks and tributaries, black spruce bogs, deciduous uplands, spruce forest complexes, so a lot of habitat diversity. The area has a large beaver population, pockets of moose, caribou in small herds, and lots of lynx & hares. A lot of bio-mass but mostly smaller species.
This is not what typically is thought of as wolverine country. Some of it is industrialized with oil & gas but the wolverines don't seem to care. They also use older clearcuts where it appears they are hunting rabbits. The area does not have "persistent snow" into mid-april which has been theorized as necessary for female dens. We have found some wolverine dens and they are under fallen tree root structures, not the usual snow caves and tunnels of the mountain wolverines.
The wolverines here are also thriving in an area with wolves, which doesn't fit the mountain model where wolverines often use high snow levels and elevation to separate themselves from wolves. By following satellite collar cluster locations, places where wolverines have hung around for a significant time, we are discovering they hunt much more than given credit for. Although one of the ACA researchers told me that hunting hares does not appear to be difficult for wolverines. The tracks seem to indicate they locate the hares by smell and stalk right in on them. Basically stalking up very close before launching themselves onto the hare. Almost never chasing them.
Another factor are the beaver. I told a story on here a couple years ago about snowshoeing up in a mountain basin along a beaver creek and coming upon a breached beaver house, and hearing the wolverine moving off. The house had a bit of blood inside and the wolverine looked like it had been using it as a den. Last week another beaver house up in the study area was also broke into by the wolverine. There's some discussion going on whether this is common behaviour or not.
What's your experience? Have you seen where a wolverine has tore a beaver house up?
This den had kits in it a few weeks before Now a lynx is checking it out. I wonder how often they discover kits and if they kill them. I'd bet they do.
That is great information, Bushman, and jives with what I have suspected for a while. I have gone over Audrey's studies, as well as ADFG studies that included various collars, traps, etc. My take-home was that these critters travel FAR more than most think, but when they find a solid source of food, they will hang around. I don't buy into the "Home Range" theory what so ever,. Not saying they won't spend time, say a month or so, in an area that provides a living. Just saying I don't think they will "claim" it as a territory, if you will. Chow gets scarce, they move on.
I have read before that wolverines dig out beaver houses,but it was likely beaver chewing out the breather hole in late winter themselves,leaving access for wolf and likely wolverines as well. I have seen quite a few wolf kills of beaver that have chewed out of their house in spring to access nearby feed.Beaver are very vulnerable to wolves in years when they chew out.
Rat -You're right, not much fur to salvage there for sure
Boo -The house that I saw had been dug into through the side. It was not a large beaver house though. I'll ask the researcher where this latest house was entered.
AV - Yes and no on the territories. The mature members have defined areas on the collar data we've retrieved so far. Mature males have little overlap with other mature males but may have up to four females inside that territory. The immature collared individuals stayed inside their parents territories early winter, but started exploring outside of those territories late season. One young male took off late last winter a couple times and explored a region north of his parents along a wetland complex, but always came back. This spring and summer collar uploads showed that he has now moved into that wetland area and largely staying there. Although he has gone back to his natal area a few times as well.
I can only dream about all the cool things we'll discover off those collars over the next two years.
Did I send you the collar data from this area? It was, I believe, a 3 or 4 year study. If not, let me know. I will get it for you. It includes the male that went psycho , and went like 400 miles, willy-nilly. Ultimately died in a trap a LONG ways from where he was collared.
Neat stuff, Brian always enjoy your post and the information you share. We have a fringe population in Ontario which appears to be expanding eastward and southward. Mainly based in the extreme northwestern part of the province. Jim
as always super posts on ur thread bushman its so nice to see real information and the provincial support you have to compile accurate info on a fur species .. in our province there is no such thing as accurate info on populations and everyone just rely on the stories in coffee shops to base decisions on like the problem were having with the supposed wolf problem in the north east . once again thanks for your efforts in collecting and shareing this accurate info . as far as opened up beaver houses we have over the years found houses opened up but they have always bin small poorly located houses that appered to run out of feed or froze out . now I have no idea who opened them if it was beaver from inside or a bigfoot from the outside . our wolverine population is minimal so around here it probably wasn't a wolverine . those open houses are a great place for neck snare bears in the spring if nothing else ...thanks again for shareing your study ..
Thanks for the comments. Good to see u r alive Jim.
I spoke with crew and wolverines are checking out the vent holes and they believe dug out a couple. But perhaps the wolverines came along afterwards? Need to take a closer look.
My cinematographer partner filled me in in the kill scene. The wolverine got caught travelling down an overgrown cutline. The pack came loping down the trail in pursuit but the wolverine was hemmed in by thick alder regrowth. It managed to make it to a clearing and made for a spruce tree. the base of the tree was trampled by the pack and broken branches at the base. Looks like the wolverine made it a few feet up the tree before they grabbed it by the back and pulled it down. I wouldn't be surprised if it made a couple attempts to climb. Not his day but it illustrates how important climbable trees are to a wolverine.
Of course a real wolverine could whip a pack of wolves or a grizzly bear.
Things have been interesting lately. Dropped my partner off in the wolverine blind... so I'm keeping my fingers crossed he gets some more video gold.
In the meantime I headed up into a different mountain range with a buddy. Lyle has his trapline up in this high country and his family have been connected to this area for a few hundred years at least. He and his wife also run a horse outfitting business specializing in deep wilderness trips along the continental divide.
We were on a mission, in support of some volunteer work we do. Our Parks division is strapped for cash (because Alberta is such a poor province) so we hauled public toilets out to remote campsites. There was some skeptics who thought we'd never make it up the twisty trails with the loads but never under estimate trappers. You'll note I had my whole fleet out to haul the toilets.
Ummmm if you have to use one of those green crappers in the mountains should you really be in the back country of the Wilmore? There is a log at Eagles Nest that has served me well!
Brian, I'd say you were on my trapline except the trees were too big and the snow way too deep. Beautiful country up there. Were the toilets heavy or just bulk loads? Looked forward to your posts and pictures this season. Can't wait to see the new wolverine footage. Be safe.
AK - Toilets were light at least, but sleds fill up with snow so ends up heavy regardless.
I just returned from the trapline I hauled a small crew in to film some behind the scenes footage for the wolverine documentary. I have never seen conditions like this season, way too warm for this time of year. My partner had called and reported bad conditions so I brought in an argo on tracks. I used to own an argo but found them too much too maintain. I had forgotten how awesome they can be.
The wolverine action has been slower than other years. I believe the warm conditions have made travelling tougher and reduced their food requirements. We still have them around just not as many.
We did get some cool shots of two fox mating on camera. They get locked together and the female drags the male around on the ice. I'll take a still photo and post it. I also saw a mink on the ice. I have never seen a mink there and only have caught one in 20 years.
I've been hauling significant amounts of "bio mass" out to this area for four years now. Way more than an average trapper would be doing for trapping purposes. I did it for filming but I'm seeing interesting results. It appears that the population of furbearers has increased dramatically in that specific area. And I'm still harvesting fur around there.
Pete's was not the only wedding in town. My son just got married and the girls in the wedding party had their photos taken with my furs. I was pleased the bride wanted the fur as when she met my son she figured we were killers. She come a long way. Someone posted one of the professional photos on Facebook and apparently it got picked up by some anti-fur website and the bride got an onslaught of negative posts. She laughed them off.
Nube - you know better than to ask about rams, wait for the pictures next fall. ( got to dream a bit )
Bullgetter - You and every other cowboy puts up a rail for a toilet. Camps are in limited supply so the camps are surrounded by crappers. As for belonging in the Willmore I don't mind having folks who like a clean camp showing up. And good news I'm heading to Eagles Pass next week with one of those toilets and I'm putting your name on it. Watch for photos
AV - These are slick units. you dig a regular hole and just put the unit overtop. When full roll toilet to the side and dig a new hole and use dirt to fill old hole. When it rains they wash up real good. low maintenance
Oh that brings up a bad memory. As a kid I rode the bus. I went outside to find my sisters dog locked up in the front of our house in full view of everyone on the bus when it would stop to pick me up. Crazy how every time I see or hear of this happening I think of that memory as a kid. The thought of having to get on that bus with this happening made a huge mark in my memory bank. Heck I am having a hard time remembering what I did yesterday. However being a boy of action I did get my practice herding, with all mean at my disposal, a set of simese twin dogs each pointed in the opposite direction, to the back side of the house in record time.
those crappers would be great along the river i work on. so many people camping/fishing, its real nasty by the end of a summer.
have they left them out in the bush before? outside of a structure? looks to me like they'ld end up being expensive play toys for bears. if they are just outside covering a hole. keep us updated on how long they last.
those crappers would be great along the river i work on. so many people camping/fishing, its real nasty by the end of a summer.
have they left them out in the bush before? outside of a structure? looks to me like they'ld end up being expensive play toys for bears. if they are just outside covering a hole. keep us updated on how long they last.
I've seen and used ones along rivers in BC. They had been there a while and were no worse for the wear. As Brian can atest the perch is quite comfortable.
if they've got them along some rivers in bc already. won't be long until there out on the dean.
last summer. one of my clients took a crap on top of a squirrel miden. and then lit the paper on fire. i spent nearly a week, couple hours a day. with the water pump/fire hose. putting the fire out. lucky,could of been real bad.
Just back from another mountain expedition. Headed up into Willmore Wilderness with a couple friends doing a bit of volunteer work for Parks. This area is know as one of the most scenic parts of the park. Because of the warm winter we are having we weren't sure about conditions but it turned out to be perfect. Stayed in one of my travelling partners trapline cabins, a beautiful hand crafted log structure. A good time for sure
One of the iconic peaks
I came home with some trophies. This area is famous for hunting. I saw cow moose & calf while out plus tons of wolf tracks, some lynx, lots of fox, but not much marten
Of course folks have been using the mountains for a long long time.
Thanks moose. I only post on this forum because the folks on here speak my language. Big thanks to the pioneers of this forum like Family Trapper and White 17 who have built the culture of this site. A lot of helpful info and no posers.
check this out
we're right in the midst of filming wolverines. This male has been displaced from his territory and looks like he's had his butt kicked.
Thanks moose. I only post on this forum because the folks on here speak my language. Big thanks to the pioneers of this forum like Family Trapper and White 17 who have built the culture of this site. A lot of helpful info and no posers.
check this out
we're right in the midst of filming wolverines. This male has been displaced from his territory and looks like he's had his butt kicked.
Getting some nice shots of the wolverine. Hey, i noticed an Argo a couple a pages back, i knew you would come around! Nice country to ride in for sure. Thanks.
Those wolverines get addicted to the beaver bait in the live traps and put a few pounds on. There is some discussion on whether live trapping disrupts normal wolverine travel patterns and I'm sure it has effect. But their inherit need to scent post and mark territory keeps them moving I believe. We can see by our trail cams on carcasses that they gorge for a period and then take off, usually packing some grub to stash.
Taking a short break from bush life to setup the next stage of our filming. We're using chopper and fixed wings with long range cine-flex to see if we can follow a wolverine across the landscape. We need the cineplex so we can stay back 1/4 mile or so and get natural behaviour in action. We have cameras setup on two dens right now. You're going to have to watch the documentary to see what we're getting but I'm pretty happy.
My buddy from up north sent me this as a joke.
Claims he was always a Ladies Man, I say it was the shades while he claims it was all his fur.
Slow but sure Brian! Love those new Argos. The outfitter I guide for has 4 or 5 of them. The old ones were a pain....always breaking axles, but they fixed that problem a few years ago. Looks like your snow conditions were about like ours. What is the dimension of that cabin? I have a couple to build this year.
Cool stuff, the wolverine pics are really interesting. I wonder how that one got scalped? They must fight hard. Too bad about the one killed by wolves. The camera man must have unbelievable patience!
He's got ADD when he's not in that blind Dale. But can really drill down when he's on the job. A good cinematographer for sure. We're going to keep filming all year and hope for spring and summer footage. Stay tuned
This pic is of a wolf I spotted coming around a corner towards me. Gun was buried deep in gear ( I know...I know) but camera was close. It made tracks once it saw me.
Awesome. I had and blew the one opportunity I had for a wolf with a gun. There was not chance to shoot it at the time. It booked too soon. It was on a fresh March beaver kill on a slough. I stopped and picked up the beaver it was huge. He had just killed it and started eating the throat area out. All good for fur. I took it and left to check Lynx traps up the slough. I had the thought I should go and sneak back to take a look. Thought he would not return. Was gone an hour or so and on my return he had come back out in the fresh snow looking for his prized possession. One of my deeper regrets was to not play that one out a little smarter. One of the few times I had a good rifle to do the trick too.
I took a quick trip to my cabins today to retrieve my LT440. I'm giving it to a buddy for parts. This machine was called the legend and it earned its name. Of course travelling through the different elevations means you go from dirt to snow back down to rocks.
My bridge was a little under the weather so I took the direct route, with mixed results
Made a recent trip to say goodbye to an old friend. After 20 years of making memories I've decided to sell my foothills trapline. Found the right guy and did the deal. Time to move on.
It was hard to sell this trapline but I was keeping it for the wrong reasons. I'd steal time from my mountain line to high grade the fur, especially during the early season. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's like having a beautiful woman and only visiting her once a month. Time to let someone else show her some love.
The upside is more mountain time and hopefully getting into some of my more remote corners.
Your an honorable man to let it go to someone that will give it the use it is set aside for. Wish I had just one beautiful woman to choose to spend time with. ;0)
Made a recent trip to say goodbye to an old friend. After 20 years of making memories I've decided to sell my foothills trapline. Found the right guy and did the deal. Time to move on.
It was hard to sell this trapline but I was keeping it for the wrong reasons. I'd steal time from my mountain line to high grade the fur, especially during the early season. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's like having a beautiful woman and only visiting her once a month. Time to let someone else show her some love.
The upside is more mountain time and hopefully getting into some of my more remote corners.
Wow!! That is one of the most rugged "A" frames I have ever seen in my life. Unbelievable full roof of solid logs!!
How did this conversation go from traplines to women. Must be the end of the season. I wish I had traplines all over the country or women for that matter. That is an awesome A-frame Brian. Did you build it?
We just wrapped up the winter portion of our wolverine shoot. My partner came through once again and nailed some amazing footage. I'd love to share some of our gold footage but I'd have one peeved broadcaster. It'll be worth waiting for I'm thinking. I believe we have captured the first film footage ever of wild wolverine kits, which were totally white by the way. Plus a lot of adult wolverines as well. Got some excellent lynx footage as a bonus.
Our next challenge is to capture some spring and summer wolverine footage. Looks like we'll have to chopper in to our mountain location. A friend was up in choppers last week looking for collared female grizzlies but they were still in dens. I was a bit surprised as its been a real warm winter but I guess they're programmed to emerge at a certain time of year. Still froze in that den i guess.
I dropped a moose one day and by Day two a grizzly had taken the remains over. A buddy walked in on the carcass and said his hair was standing on end. He scanned around and spotted the grizzly under a spruce tree laying down and looking him right in the eye. The bear backed away and he felt pretty lucky.
There's a story behind each of these pictures. The caribou hunt was the last time I hunted caribou with Dad. I grew up hunting caribou with him so it was bittersweet. He's still chasing deer and elk though.
A buddy was out at my cabins a couple years ago, and when he came around the trail he found a golden eagle holding a struggling fox in it's talons. I went back later that afternoon and the eagle lifted off from where it had been feeding. I'd have loved to seen the eagle grab the fox.
357- lots of talk over years about the noise associated with northern lights as to whether it even exists. But having heard them I personally knew it was a moot point. Years later I read an article on how the needles of conifers act as receivers to pick up frequency given off by electrical pulses created by the lights. So does that mean they are silent on the tundra?
I've heard them crackling while out on the Arctic Ocean on the ice like 10 miles outside of Barrow. So I would assume they would crackle on the tundra also. Went up there for New Years 1999/2000 my uncle took us up to prove that y2k histeria was bull. Lol
Looks like tomorrow is going to be fun. taking off early to attempt to jet boat up my creek. It'll be a first ascent perhaps as I've never seen anyone up there in all my years. Stay tuned for full report and pics in a couple days...or have a stiff whiskey for me if I don't make it.
Good luck and have fun. Gotta love first ascents or attempts, excitement around every bend. Just picked up a new jet boat myself. 18'X54" Lowe flat bottom with 70hp Yamaha jet and prop unit. Ought to be fast and shallow runner. Got some mods to do and should be on the water next week.
Good luck on the run Brian, running an outboard jet or inboard? Buddy of mine ran a small river up into the caribou mountains, they made it 60 miles up from the last road and hit major rapids. Boat got swamped and stuck on some rocks in mid river where they tried to get to shore but current was much to strong. They had a locating device and called a chopper come in and pick them out of the boat hovering above the rapids. As they lifted off the boat tumbled down stream and was gone. He flew over last week and located the boat over turned in some shallow rapids. Planning a recover soon. They had a Delorme device along, without it search and rescue would not have found them in time due too hypothermia.
The upper half of the river has never been run yet.
It was all gold Lever until we hit this rock heading back downstream, only a couple mile from the truck. My buddy slammed his face & nose into the console and banged it up pretty bad. We caught air when we hit the rock but I was hanging on while my friend only had the wheel. When we hit it knocked him silly for a minute and he dropped to the floor. I grabbed the wheel from the side and steered us to shore until he got his wits back. He's tough
I just read through this whole post, and I must say I live In the wrong part of the world! Keep up the journal, it gives us flatlanders something to dream about!
What model and size do you have. I looked at the website last night and did not see one that looked like yours. The Snapper does but yours looks beeter could just be the paint job though.
It is a snapper but customized. The present owner buys the shell and motor and adds his own touches. Firefish will build the exact same boat though. But he's backed way up. The engine is a 200 opti-max two stroke. The boat is 14' 8" and has an open hull. That way you can walk out in bow to cut sweepers. There is also a tarp for the front ad back. You can drive with the front on to keep water or rain off gear. The noise level was moderate and you could easily talk even with head phones on. I'm going over to try and make a deal on the boat tomorrow, complete with lessons, to old to completely learn through trial and error.
My jet boat buddies tell me it's a nice starter boat...I'll show them lol. Far as I can see only limitation is big lakes and heavy seas, not made for that. I'm surrounded by epic jetboat rivers, The smoky, wapiti, kakwa, and my buddy lives on the McKenzie, Liard, and Nahanni. Life just keeps getting better. New grandson ;last week too an 8 pounder
That looks like an exciting river to run, the boat with a 200 Sport jet must must an awful lot of fun. Could you make it up late summer or is it just during spring run off?
(This word is unacceptable on Trapperman);Brian i sat up reading all 41 pages until 1-30 this morning, you have some life style, it seems like life is just one big adventure, or loads of little ones, you live the life some of us can only dream about, good luck to you. Congrats on another grandchild, i became a granddad in nov for the first time and its a great feeling, someone to take on all my fishing and hunting gear after my days. Keep the posts coming they are fantastic reading and the pictures are absolutely amazing.
Thanks for the comments. It's fun to share with others who love the bush life. I believe all of us here have an appreciation for the wild places, but some of us are more fortunate with locations and access. I consider myself very lucky Coney, and funny you should mention adventures, that's what i call them too.
Tundra - as far as I know I made first ascent of the river. The water drops dramatically by August so it'll be tough access later, but maybe not impossible. I bought the boat yesterday so i guess I'll be seeing. Lots of the places to play around here on mountains rivers.. I'm heading back again tomorrow to head upriver again.
I just setup a trip for beginning of June to head up to the Nahanni for a week of jet boating again. My buddy Floyd is lining up some trips to some unique spots. It's sure nice to have a buddy who have a few thousand year family history in a place, they kind of get to know the area!
By the way Tundra my friend Floyd takes folks out on the river for a living in the summer and traps all winter. He's based out of Ft Simpson and very reasonable priced. Anybody looking for a northern adventure could do no wrong with Floyd. Happy to provide a contact via PM to anyone interested.
Here in Alberta you are allowed to shoot ravens on private land. Around some cattle leases the ravens have learned to harass weak calves and sometimes stress them to death. A friend of mine was asked to help manage some out of control local population. They took over 400
The wings should make good winter flagging. I read of an old set with a raven frozen in a lifelike pose, set on the edge of lake ice, with urine or scent on it. I don't know if it was in Bill Nelson's book or what. Should be good for lynx , wolverine and fox.
Or wolf Dale, makes deadly set. Also if you throw a few dead ravens at your bait pile the rest will stay away. It's 5:30 am here and I'm mountain bound, have a good day all.
So this turned out to be an interesting day. We got down to the river after two hour drive and after looking the river over we decided to turn around and drive home again. I'd say spring is two weeks early and the high water has come early. Sending cameraman out in helicopter tomorrow instead. Looks like I might lose a couple foot bridges this tear.
I ended up booking a chopper to fly partner in to our location. He brought his 10 year old son who lives in Florida with his Mom. ( See us Canadians like the US, we make babies) The kid is tough I've had him on horse backing treks. He walks around in bare feet all the time.
Nothing like paying $1,300 an hour to fly dead beavers around. We had to haul bait in as well
The boys checking their face book status before the flight. It'll be social media withdrawals for a while
Looks like you've been busy Brian. Love that little boat, looks as it should be able to take some punishment and keep on keeping on. Your cabin looks awesome. That buffalo hide really covers a wall. I shot one here that was 54 square feet of hide. Just got it rolled up in the corner. Have fun and be safe.
AK -My dad shot that buffalo in 1970's...these hides last forever The firefish has a 1" teflon layer on the bottom with seven stringers. We nailed a rock so hard we got airborne but no damage to the boat
Wish I could move to a place like that. My wife would have a fit no electricity (accept a gen.) or running water. That's what you get when you marry a girl from the suburbs. Wouldn't bother me a bit. The plus side no nosey neighbors for miles.
Nothing says a road trip like 16 jerry cans of gas and two coolers of dry ice. I'm heading back to the homeland for some fishing and jet boating. Hitting Ft providence first and then on to the Mckenzie River with the Nahanni next. Hope to have some good shots to share when I return.
My cameraman has been besieged by solid rain for a week and the river is raging down there. I'm thinking I'll have lost a couple bridges. Oh well time for an upgrade
411 - I just dropped off 440 LT to a buddy who needs the parts.
I returned yesterday from another epic tip. I met up with my buddy Floyd in Ft. Simpson and we headed north on the McKenzie River until we hit the north Nahanni and then followed it as far as you can go in a jet boat. It took us two days of travel to get to that point. The end of the trail is caused by huge rocks and debris that almost closed the river off. The North Nahanni is an untamed river that is as wild as it gets. A lot of fast water and rocky channels. Also a lot of fossils, cool rocks, petrified wood, and
After a couple days on the Nahanni we headed to the Root River which takes you all the way up into the McKenzie mountains. This river is more shallow and braided and presented more of a challenge. A couple buddies came up with me in their jet boat and went aground in one section. My local buddy Floyd is a master of the rivers and performed some pretty amazing feats in his boat. I also love his stories of being on the land and his youth spent learning off his 90 year old grandparents who raised him. I also picked up a Dene elder friend of mine Louie, from another community, who had never seen that part of their nation. A couple great guy's to travel with.
I saw a couple wildlife drama's while out as well. We came around corner and two wolves were harassing a moose. It had been in the river for quite a while as it's back legs were quivering. I spotted a third wolf off in a small tributary and it was standing over a dead calf. I'm guessing the pulled the calf down and the cow wouldn't leave so they started harassing it. The cow was gone when we returned that afternoon so maybe we saved it.
Great trip and awesome photos Brian. Looks like your running with some good company. Been looking into those rough water jet boats, wow. Pretty sweet rides. Keep living the dream and exploring that great land. I'm down in Minnesota for quite a while, got some physical issues to deal with. Will be following your adventures to keep me in line.
Sorry to hear you're down for maintenance JR. I got a feeling it'll take a lot to keep you down.
One of the amazing things about the Nahanni is the rock formations, fossils, and assorted colours. I already have a thing for rocks ( being a Prospector was one of my first dreams as a kid) so this place really blows me away.
Cool pictures as always. I like the cool colors in the rocks you get around that area. The older folks around here say this year was one of the earliest and fastest spring thaws they have ever seen. We got some high heat early this year.
Cool pictures as always. I like the cool colors in the rocks you get around that area. The older folks around here say this year was one of the earliest and fastest spring thaws they have ever seen. We got some high heat early this year.
Same to the north east in Canada. We had an early breakup muskrat hunting was 4 or 5 days long before the muskrats fought all the value out of themselves. Temps were 18C to 22C then for the last week a north wind and rain / snow blew in and we have been starting the wood stove for a few nights. Now it is clearing up again may go to the coast tomorrow.
I hear you Ron, but a full time job in summer time for the gardener ( my wife ) It's her passion. My son and I built the house and all the landscaping features ourselves but it's taken forever. I'm in no hurry. Jake - I'm 15 minutes away from civilization.
I'm just finishing up looking at our footage from our last film shoot, partner came out of bush 2 weeks ago. Our goal was to get some summer wolverine footage which is hard to do. We got lucky and nailed some great footage. Also got bears, moose, marten, and great wolf footage.
In one clip a moose comes rolling down the river in full sprint flood. It must have got swept off its feet. The young bull struggles to its feet and stands in the full force of the current shoulder deep. It walks into shore and stands there recovering. But earlier a black bear had walked along the creek and was still in the bushes, unseen. The moose started into the trees with it's ears pointed forward for at lest three minutes before turning around and plunging back into the creek and crossing to other side. But here's the thing the wind was blowing hard from moose to bear and the bear was hid. Six sense?
I'm down in the crowsnest pass in southern Alberta. I've been at a wolverine conference attended by a lot of researchers currently conducting research across Canada , lower 48, and a special treat Audrey came down from Alaska. Jeff Copeland from the Wolverine Foundation was also there. Obviously some interesting projects were discussed but our Alberta research project which is a collaboration with Trappers was a real topic of interest. There were three of us trappers in attendance and we had a great opportunity to dialogue and maybe even opened a few eyes and minds to the value trappers contribute towards conservation
I was at the Alberta Trapper Rendevous last weekend. Sold out event over 500 in attendance. Lots of fires this year. Got a shot of water bomber lifting off
Finally caught up on some business so I can finally get out of town. Wife and I are heading to the mountains for a couple of weeks in the morning [/quote]
Brian looks like you need to do a bit of work on your trap cabin before fall.
I had a Northern Flicker nest by the cabin. There were two chicks in the cavity, one much larger than the other. I was surprised that they were still in the nest but over the course of a couple days the parents coaxed the chicks out of the nest for good. Pretty noisy process
There's a cure for that.I've been using steel security boxes by camlockbox.com for several years on my Bushnells and have yet to get any damage.I just deal with black bears but before the boxes,I had several cameras trashed.I just get the standard weight ones but they have heavier weight ones as well.I haven't seen any evidence that they have even tried to bite the steel.
I just finished reading all 44 pages of this thread. Great stuff bushman. Very envious of your life style. I hope we get the wolverine documentary here in PA and look forward to your future adventures. Great stuff!
Yup there's a lot of action up that way. No more mushroom shots for you 411, you get too excited.
I'm guessing Saskamusher's Mom might have had a major blood loss if a puffball saved her. Puffballs that have gone to spoor can stop blood from flowing in a wound.
Although I haven't gone up after a sheep yet, a few young fellows went in a week early and hiked a ways back and returned with this full curl ram. Tight curls but a beautiful sheep
ubetcha bushman that's exactly what happen to her we pick them green eat some and let some cure for medicine . ur trailcam pics are great do u leave them out year round
Sask - I move them around but always have a bunch out. I'd love to hear more about your traditional bush medicines. I've been lucky enough to have learned a bit from old friends. Cattail pollen and yarrow also good for stopping bleeding
I knew Canada had a pretty serious health care program, but when did you start providing prosthetics for bears?
Ha, just looked close at that black bear picture. Sure does look like a prosthetic leg. Must be the light and the camera. Maybe Brian is a secret Wildlife Vet. New reality TV show in the making.
not much to it brian we pick them when there green and still growing set them in a cool dry place and they cure like a sponge if u get a cut u open it up pull out the spongey stuff inside and put it on the cut , it stops bleeding imidiately and disinfects the wound ,wrap it up and carry on . its nice if u can find lots about size of golf balls then generally one per wound .
not much to it brian we pick them when there green and still growing set them in a cool dry place and they cure like a sponge if u get a cut u open it up pull out the spongey stuff inside and put it on the cut , it stops bleeding imidiately and disinfects the wound ,wrap it up and carry on . its nice if u can find lots about size of golf balls then generally one per wound .
We always did this as kids. Never thought nothing of it until I did it to a kid at school who fell on a piece of glass at recess. Her mother went off the deep end! LOL I was grade 3 at the time and was terrified of that woman for years. I never knew how crazy ignorance can make a person. It was the end of my playground paramedic career anyway!
We worked some nice river flats, some some decent elk sign but no action. While trying to bushwhack through one area we got into heavy willows and a lot of bear sign. Time to pick a different spot we figured, too thick to shoot a bow and too easy for a surprise bear encounter. No use asking for trouble.
A lot more bear encounters here in Alberta since our grizzly hunt was terminated. An outfitter friend was telling me about his party being harassed and stalked by one bear for several days. His sheep hunter was so unravelled he wanted to terminate the hunt, they changed locations instead. My buddy tells me if he had been alone he'd have killed the bear and disposed of it. It's all good for the government to put restrictions on the hunt but they don't have to deal with the consequences of a smart predator that's figured out they're no longer in danger of being shot by man. Doubt we'll ever see the hunt restored.
My wife and I headed out and started putting our hunt camp together. Hauled and stashed our gear and through up a frame for our tarps. Dug fire pit and built outhouse.
Saw a decent buck and had a cougar run across the trail. Took five grouse. On the way home came upon this grizzly feeding. Looks like about a three year old bear
Back in town for a couple days before heading out hunting to a new location. Lots of elk action so far but no kill yet. On opening day of rifle I called in a great bull only to have my dog come running in while i was working it. My wife decided to let her off the leash in camp which was over a mile away. Oh well that's hunting. A late rut this season it seems. Lots and lots of bears as we saw some every day. My grandkids came out for the weekend which was a blast, but noisy. I'm taking my jet boat out for this next hunt.
got warm here today but freezes at night. Heading upriver tomorrow for a day trip. Not my camp Boco but I hear you. Cut them when they're small is best
Always nice to find a bear bed right by your camp, this one was about 200 yards from our tents
Fur sign looks good this year Dave. Lots of marten scat on logs and fur bearers in general seem to be higher. Our rabbits haven't peaked yet either, maybe this year.
My friend just flew back to Mexico in time for the Hurricane. Luckily it missed PV and hit land south of his home. Before he left we dropped a couple deer and he got to meet the Canadian Rangers. The rangers were doing survival training based out of my lodge so Polo got to see them in action. The Rangers are a northern based citizen group that is mentored and supplied by the military. With many aboriginal members it assists the military in northern manoeuvres and search and rescue operations. Cool group
Ironically CBC just had story on radio about the high mortality rate of Canadian Rangers. They're asking for the military to look into it.
Saw a buddy of mine over the weekend. He had packed the F&W officers into the high country to check on Sheep Hunters. He took a picture of this bull which was located on my trapline. Apparently called it in to 15 yards. He's not hunting so it's still running free.
It's - 10 this morning and thoughts of trapping are running through my head. My immediate plans are I'm going to take the few surplus beavers for bait, put down some footholds for wolves, start grabbing road kill for baits, and check out the marten sign. The prices may not be great but my love of trapping still goes on. Kind of like a country and western song with a real good looking woman who keeps doing you wrong.
I'm thinking prices will be OK again this year. I had some marten on the summer sale and averaged over 90 bucks. Nice moose! Off to the woods on Saturday for the month of Nov. have a good season Brian!
$90 !!!! Wow Dave that's good news. By the way enjoyed your story on fire in FF&G. I can relate. I'm anxious to revisit part of my trapline that burnt 5 years ago. Tundra- you're alive! All the trappers coming out of the woodwork. What's shaking up in your part of the world?
I decided I'd take the boat out for one last cruise before freeze up. A little nippy but fun
I saw some heavy game trails heading up the river bank so I pulled over for a look.
As I followed the trail I noticed a lot of beat down trails all heading the same way
So I figured I was on the trail to a mineral lick
Sure enough there was a good lick going and the area was pounded with elk sign. My son was waiting down at the boat and watched a herd of young bulls crossing the river 800 yards upstream. Obviously a good area to keep in mind for bow season next year. It's only accessible by boat so the elk are safe for this year.
My buddy sent me a panoramic shot he took of my cabins.
I've been doing a lot of hunting and this is probably the least amount of game I've seen. I've yet to see a calf moose with a cow and few deer. Some mature moose but greatly reduced in numbers. Elk are doing fine but are concentrated in Agricultural land which I refuse to hunt. We've got tags good right into mid Dec so waiting for snow
That picture is hurting my head...there must be some sort of optical illusion going on. How the heck are the ropes holding the legs up tied off at that angle??? Seems like the legs would be pulled shut and the ropes should be going out behind them to hold it open like that???
Ron's on it. Ropes holding moose up for skinning. Those two guys are kind of fancy, I usually don't have all them fixings when i kill them.
I'll start posting more pretty quick once I get really rolling. Just doing sporadic day hunts for last couple weeks. Believe it or not I actually work once in a while, I just started putting up a 7,000 square foot shop. I'm trying out structural insulated panels for the first time.
SIPS, when done correctly are a pretty impressive and efficient way to build a structure! Are you constructing the entire building with them or just the roof?
I'm all in. I did a mono wall that is foundation and above grade section. I also have SIP roof panels. Should be nice and tight. The exterior and inner panels are Magnesium Oxide panels, essentially concrete panels. They are fire proof, water proof, and won't support mould.
I'm off on an elk hunt tomorrow, getting down to the wire for bull season
My son and I hit the trail early We took quads in 20 miles over frozen muskeg swamp into a honey hole. Lots of elk sign but no action. But my son dropped a nice white tail
nice shop bushman , years back I worked with a company that built huge food plant buildings out of colmatic panels , super easy to build and totally mouse proof and finished inside and out easy to keep clean and no mice very important on canola crush plants . the only draw back is they aren't that warm even a 4 inch thick panel doesn't give u much R value , and urethane burns like gas if it ever gets started . should be a great shop have fun ..
It was a cool kill. My boy and I had split up for a couple hours and just got back together. Were having a chat when he said "there's a deer" it was walking down the game trail with its nose to the ground. He grabbed his gun and i grunted a couple times. the buck turned and came straight to us and he dropped it at 50 yards.
It was a good hunt Len but I was after elk. We had heavy snow advisory over weekend and got about 8" of snow so winter has arrived. I'm heading back out this week as tracking snow adds a new element.
Well I finally broke the elk drought yesterday. Took my buddy out who hasn't shot one in ten years and he scored. Nice day for hunting.
I also had a cougar run right across the trail 30 yards in front of me. It had been peeing on a clump of grass and exploded into action when I came around the corner. 20 foot bounds between tracks. I have a cougar tag but that cat was outta there!
I wasn't on my trapline but fur sign was decent. I'm waiting for some colder weather before kicking off as I need some frozen waterways to get anywheres. But might be a good time for wolves so probably head out next week.
I finally got out on a trapline yesterday. Not mine but a buddy's. Different habitat, a lot of poplar regrowth with sporadic spruce. Some areas of old growth spruce, but Aspen the dominant tree. Lots of edge habitat and water courses. Good bio-diversity and appears to be a healthy fur population. This trapline has a long history of producing fur and my friend is sure to keep it going.
Those black & white pictures are pretty cool! What kind of boxes is your friend using Brian ? All four of those marten are perfect double strikes. Can you post a picture of the set?
I agree Dave those are good strikes on the marten. You can see how loose the marten box is hanging, just by a nail. The #9 pins holding the trap in can also be seen
I'm heading out finally to get some lynx sets out down in the mountains, winter has been a long time coming. I've got a few marten sets out around home but I've been wanting to go a little harder.
I've been involved in all things wolverine for five winter now. Both filming and research. Our filming wrapped up 2 weeks ago and is now in edit for Broadcast this spring. I'm pretty sure we've captured the best footage on wild wolverines ever captured. We have a couple new born kits, two males fighting, inter-species interactions, and tons of solo wolverine footage.
But what make the documentary the most interesting to me is the research findings we reveal. The research is a partnership between the Alberta Trappers Association, University of Alberta, and Alberta Conservation Association. This is our latest ACA update:[b]
"This winter we have 34 trappers participating in the runpole program of which 12 are new to the project. When you include the five sites that ACA will manage over the winter, we have a grand total of 65 runpoles, 130 trail cameras, 650 SD cards, 1560 lithium batteries and a mountain of dedication and perseverance unravelling the status of Alberta's wolverine population. We are not only detecting wolverine when using the runpole technique, we are also gathering a stockpile of other furbearer information, so please remember that all photos and hair samples are important. Data Recap Over the past four winters, we have identified 59 unique wolverines (13 males,12 females, 34 unknown) on runpoles across the Rocky Mountains and Boreal Forest. Last winter, 22 trappers and ACA staff operated 59 sites in the Boreal. Wolverines visited 45 percent of the sites during 2013/14 and 31percent of the sites during 2014/15 in the Boreal. Note: the number and location of sites differed between years. Last winter, we got 4.6 images of wolverines per trap night, which was similar to lynx (4.2 images/trap night). Move over wolverine, make room for the fisher! Last winter, we logged fishers spending 20,000+ minutes at runpoles and collected a total of 45,000+ images of them. Fishers visited nearly half of last year's sites. Lynx also appear to be quite common, visiting 48 percent of sites in 2014/15, which was similar to previous winter (53 percent). Is the second camera at each site worth the hassle? Yes! We are finding big differences in what the cameras detect depending on species. The second camera has helped detect more wolverine, lynx, and wolves: shy animals that don't always approach runpole. "
Genetic Results
We submitted our DNA samples from winter 2012/13 and 2013/14 to a genetics lab in Montana. The DNA for individual and sex identification was obtained from 39 of the 50 samples tested (78 percent). Twenty-seven unique individuals (13 females and 14 males) were identified from these samples. Haplotypes, a DNA signature, was identified for these samples.
The results indicated that Banff and Grande Cache areas had similar haplotypes, primarily "L", but Grande Cache also has some similarity to the Boreal, having some haplotypes "A" in both areas. In the Boreal, haplotype "C" and "F" were the most common. As Mike Jokinen says, "Maybe we should call Grande Cache the wolverine land bridge of Alberta."
The haplotypes observed in Alberta wolverines have also been documented through other studies in the western U.S. and Canada and really show how connected populations are. For example: in the U.S., the dominant haplotype is "A" from 300+ wolverines tested. However, the wolverines from the Cascade Range in northern Washington and southernmost British Columbia were haplotype "C," The nearest wolverines with haplotype "C" are in the Boreal Forest of Alberta, indicating long-distance movement between these populations. [/b]
The trappers contribution to this project in field days and equipment is over $300,000... so we've made a real contribution. We also have a lot of wolverines radio collared and are getting some interesting data. One of the things that we do is back-track on cluster sites. These are areas where the real time satellite signal shows the wolverines are spending a lot of time at. Of the 70 cluster sites backrapped so far the majority of them show signs of wolverines hunting beavers and hares. Very little ungulate scavenging. Another piece of info is the collar data shows the wolverines returning to sites that they had been hunting beavers at this spring and summer. They cached beaver at these sites and are now returning. Which illustrates how long a beaver carcass will last when buried in the sphagnum moss.
This is an interesting image showing collar data off one male for a three year period.
The yellow dots are from when the wolverine was dispersing from it's parents territory. He travelled all over looking for unclaimed territory. The purple clusters show the past years movements. As you can see he has now established a territory and spends most of his time there. But you can also see he wandered outside of his new territory a few times. Collar data on other young males seems to show that they will return at least once annually to their natal territory. There is some thought that they may be checking on the status of the dominant male ( their father ) and could at some point claim the territory. The females often end up sharing a portion of their mothers territory and have been seen travelling in groups of three generations.
Boo - I believe the wolverine movement is mainly influenced by the waterways. I also would think the young males would avoid territories held by other males.
Brian why do you suspect young males would avoid territories held by other males? I know some bios hold this view on grizzly bears as well but I have not found it to be the case....bears are where the food is. Many times I have seen 2 big boars in the same berry patch. One year we killed 3 large adult boars in the same spot over a 3-three period...the regional biologist found it hard to believe. This past Nov. i caught 4 male wolverine in a very small area and there were others present. Just wondering what you have seen to come to that conclusion. They do follow water ways on my trapline as well.
Chicken - Stand by, I'm heading out tomorrow to pick up some cameras I haven't been able to access for last 4 months. Hopefully I can make it.
Yukon - Here's my thoughts on why wolverines are different. Radio collars and remote cameras are sure turning out to be valuable tools for revealing information we had no idea about. I agree with you about grizzly bears and really any Bio who thinks that about bears doesn't know nature. Bears have shown great tolerance for each other as long as the feed supply is greater than the demand. Hence areas like McNeil River.
Wolverines are much more like wolves... where territory is everything. The multiple wolverines you saw together are almost for sure interrelated. In one territory you can have the dominant male, two breeding females, possibly four juveniles that are young of the year, and even some young females from the previous years litter. Plus the odd nervous young male transient looking for new territory.
Wolverines spend a lot of time scent posting and will leave a bait pile about every 2-3 days to freshen up their scent posts. It also looks like dominant males may slip into the neighbouring dominant males territory to check out his competitions scent posts to make sure he's still there. To a wolverine scent posting is a way of life.
We've seen two behaviours Boco. One where the wolverine comes up to the tree and makes a quick motion almost like it's humping the tree. It's the belly making contact. The most common shots I have ( and a lot of them) are wolverines scent posting by squatting
So you think they are very territorial? I mean, the males do not "cross the line", type thing? The studies I have had the opportunity to review shows what appears to be, at best, seasonal "territories", but are loose, at best, and certainly no real boundaries. That said, (these are Audrey's studies south of me, and the Berners Bay studies, which are right under my nose).
I have seen sign, and captures of what appear to be YOY litter-mates running together well into the winter, but the males, especially older, mature ones, seem hard to pin down. Here, they seem to run Willy-Nilly. Some will be regulars, visitation-wise, others, well. Hi, Bye. Gone for good. I'm sure you saw the information on the wolverine, (male), that was captured by ADFG very near my trap line, that was caught in a trap in the Stikine headwaters a year later. I think it was nearly 300 miles, as the crow flys. Probably 2000, as the gulo gallops.
AV I met Audrey this fall and she's a real sweety. To say she was impressed with our results is an understatement. Yes I believe almost all the collar work in North America shows dominate male and female stay with an established territory as long as they can maintain it. Juveniles and displaced Alphas will definitely cover the miles though. Yukon- They urinate so much they should have two kidneys. But there is a musk as well. Perhaps the musk is important for breeding purposes while the urine marks territory. I'm off the the line for couple days.
I headed up river to set lynx sets and lots of sign. Lots of bunnies too so i think this year might be top of cycle here. funny how Lynx cycle ripples through North America. Only downside was all the overhanging trees. Wet heavy snow at some point.
But after cutting at least a 100 of these I made it up to my cameras. Len you'd be proud of me as i used a machete to cut these.
The Otter was in Oct AK and the wolverine was two weeks ago. You're right that our snow is low but actually travel conditions were good. The ice froze up hard without the insulation of snow and then snow arrived.
Awesome thread just looked at pics and read some of it ! I agree with many others and you are living the dream! You have a beautiful house and cabins! And man you are really active! I'm insanely jealous! You have room for me in that house or heck I'll live in one of those cabins!
The weather has actually co-operated this winter which surprised me. Not much snow but fairly cold so rivers are froze tight so I have good access. I've taken a few lynx and marten over the last couple weeks but the wolves are not co-operating much, as there is little snow. That pic is a solo wolf that was hanging around while the packs are running everywhere because of lack of snow.
Len I keep getting film contracts which make some of those animals worth more to me alive then dead. I have a no trap zone for my major bait site as I want to keep our film subjects happy. It's been worth it though as the cameras have revealed more about animals behaviour that a life time of observation could reveal, just like Saskmusher said!
We've spent the last three months in an edit suite putting our wolverine documentary together. It will be broadcast on Feb 25 on CBC here in Canada on The Nature of Things. For my US brothers it will be on-line shortly after the 25th. I'm pretty proud of the final product.
And just for the record I'm still a trapper! Picked up this lynx yesterday from a set that's been producing for over a decade and had taken a lot of lynx.
SK - Nothing fancy. An upright pole stuck in the ground and wired to the big pine at first branch level. 9" loop about 11" off ground. Pole about 3' out from tree with dry branches for cubby. Chicken wing with lure for bait.
I'm in Costa Rica. I Took a break from low fur prices and I'm getting recharged for a film project in March. I still found my mountains though.
I flew into Liberia on the NW coast and grabbed a car. My wife and I like the local stuff as much as possible so we're not beach people. Although the beaches here are magnificent. We heard from a local about a private run hot spring about an hour back into the hills.
It was Well worth the drive, half way on very rough trails. The spring were perfect temperature and my wife and I were totally alone the whole time. An aggressive hike in really warms you up for a dip
Costa Rica is a beautiful country Bushman. I spent two weeks there this time last year, and can't wait to go back! We saw quite a few different animals, and at night would go out in the jungle to find the different bugs, frogs and lizards. Enjoy!
Thanks Bushman, enjoy your trip. I was down in the same area of costa Rica a few years ago loved it there. There's a concrete water slide down the side of a mountain if you want some excitement.
I just finished reading all 51 pages of your recent sagas, and I must say thank you for sharing your seemingly charmed life with us. I realize that a lot of hard work goes in to all that you do, but I am thoroughly impressed by your adventures and the stunning beauty of your area. Thanks again for sharing!
I'm still in Costa Rica but heading home this week. I enjoyed the break but I do love my winters. Tragic news yesterday as my brother in law flipped his tractor on top of himself and was killed. Farm accidents can be killers so be safe out there.
Jumping on a plane and heading back to Canada today. I'm ready for some snow but it's been way too warm at home.
Thanks for all the kind words re my brother in law. Les was a real Macgyver type of guy, which contributed to his death. He had built his own chains for his tractor and told my sister he was taking it out to test them in the snow. He flipped the tractor on a creek and it fell on him in the water. What can you say, life is a gift that can be taken in an instant. But as I read the outpouring of sympathy from friends and family I'm reminded that if you really want to know what people think of you, eavesdrop on your funeral. You'll find out what path you've laid behind you, never to be changed. In my brother-in-laws case it was a path of love and quiet dignity. Not a flashy guy but a solid loving family man.
Enough said on this topic but ironically i've told only you guys about his death. Strange how a forum can become part of your support network and allow you to both vent and heal. Thanks for listening
Brian Tough news to bare my friend. Sorry for your families loss. Glad you could find support through your network of friends here and elsewhere. Quality has it way of shining through for those that possess it whether online or in person. You have always been a bright spot in this forum as I am sure you will be for your family at this time. Blessing to you and your family. Life is precious.
I'm finally getting back into the mountains tomorrow for a quick visit. Out to the camera's and re-up some bait. We have a 30 day film contract for BBC and hope to get a bunch of mountain species. Our wolverine documentary gets broadcast this week. My Partner is getting a lot of press which should boost ratings.
Well I broke down today and bought an argo with tracks. All the industrial rental places in Alberta are in free-fall and there's some deals to be had. I got a couple year old unit with 300 hours for $10,000 U.S. I rented the exact same model last year and it was a beast. but I've owned argo's before so I know they can be money pits. But cool money pits
atta boy love it .....bravely go where no man has gone before ...... i followed a set of tracks across a big swamp one time and i figured if somebody crossed it with a 4 wheeler surely i can follow in rubber boots half way across and over a mile into the project i realised its not getting better and i was in fact walking on the tracks of a argo, waist deep tired and wet as the sun went down along came the guy that made the tracks on his way back with his moose in back of his argo and gave me a ride back to my truck , i was sold on the concept .
I'm looking forward to making the most of the argo for sure. Don't worry Boco we got all the water you need. Maybe come have a look in June. I've seen it 300' wide and the ground vibrating it's rolling so hard.
It was like a scene out of Leonardo DiCaprio’s extreme survival movie, The Revenant.
Last weekend, 69-year-old Jimmy Iqaluq was hunting for polar bears in the Belcher Islands when he broke through the ice, reports the CBC.
The Nunavummiuq was forced to abandon his snowmobile, but was able to pull himself out of the water, climbing onto a nearby island.
Stranded, Iqaluq had to figure out how to protect himself from the cold. He built an igloo, but a shelter can only do so much when you’re wearing drenched pants. This is when Iqaluq—who is a prominent sculpture artist—came up with a creative way to use the fox he caught earlier in the day.
With a knife, he skinned the fox and wrapped the furry pelt around his legs, MacGyvering himself a pair of pants.
Although rudimentary, the garment kept him warm. Rescue searchers found Iqaluq the following morning around 5 a.m.
Unfortunately, while Iqaluq is now safe at home, his snowmobile and gear were lost in the water.
I just got back from the hills. Man there is not much snow compared to other years.
my trails on river ice are getting pretty skinny, at one spot only 4' wide between flowing water. We're filming for BBC right now so I had one of their crew out there. She didn't realize how lucky she was weather wise as she even found the warm weather chilly. Saw a wolverine on the river, big male who we've watched over the last few years become the dominant male in the area.
My researcher buddy tells me he has four collared mothers that are in their dens right now, either giving or just gave birth. Dens are located in a beaver house, a slash pile, a peat moss complex, and a root wad where a tree blew over. Four different mothers using four different denning techniques. kind on blows away the theory that wolverines need snow in order to successfully den.
I'm going to try a build a bridge pier while the water is low. I'll go up with log rounds 4-5' and fill in with rocks
It was like a scene out of Leonardo DiCaprio’s extreme survival movie, The Revenant.
Last weekend, 69-year-old Jimmy Iqaluq was hunting for polar bears in the Belcher Islands when he broke through the ice, reports the CBC.
The Nunavummiuq was forced to abandon his snowmobile, but was able to pull himself out of the water, climbing onto a nearby island.
Stranded, Iqaluq had to figure out how to protect himself from the cold. He built an igloo, but a shelter can only do so much when you’re wearing drenched pants. This is when Iqaluq—who is a prominent sculpture artist—came up with a creative way to use the fox he caught earlier in the day.
With a knife, he skinned the fox and wrapped the furry pelt around his legs, MacGyvering himself a pair of pants.
Although rudimentary, the garment kept him warm. Rescue searchers found Iqaluq the following morning around 5 a.m.
Unfortunately, while Iqaluq is now safe at home, his snowmobile and gear were lost in the water.
That's really interesting to hear about the choice and variety of denning sites. It certainly contradicts the theory that they require deep snow for denning.
Say, I was wondering, do you still trap wolverine for the fur?
I still trap wolverine. Here in Alberta we are on a quota and only allowed one a year. I just sold one to our provincial museum where it's going on display, I got $1,000 plus $600 for a lynx! I'm not targeting fur right at my filming site but I have a big trapline.
I basically sat this season out trapping though. I sold my early access trapline and by the time it was safe in the mountains I could see how the fur market was going this year so decided it was a good time to take a month off and travel this winter. Took some lynx and marten just fooling around by the cabin but this would be the least amount of fur I've ever harvested.
I know a lot of us have used an Alaskan chainsaw mill but I'm wondering if any of you have experience with the logosol models. They look like a quality product and I'd like to mill some of my own lumber this year
AK - In regards to snow levels and wolverine denning it was researcher Jeff Copeland who came up with that theory. Recently I believe an application was made to have wolverines in the lower 48 classified as endangered based on climate change and loss of denning areas. It was denied. This new research demonstrates that wolverines do not require snow for dens but may select those areas if they have a choice.
The study on snow denning of wolverines allegedly found that although wolverines don't always den in a snow cave the ones that did had a lower mortality of cubs. It is funny though that even as the enviros espouse global warming as a threat and human disturbance as bad,the wolverines are exploding south and east and are doing best in areas that were highly disturbed by logging in the past. Right now in Ontario we need a count but the MNR has no money for that they say.
I know a lot of us have used an Alaskan chainsaw mill but I'm wondering if any of you have experience with the logosol models. They look like a quality product and I'd like to mill some of my own lumber this year
Buy a mobile dimension mill Brian you won't regret it they are an a awesome mill.
Red Earth - I looked at them. Kind of commercial looking and not as portable as I'd need. Plus the cost brother, trying to bankrupt me? But if you got one come on down and do me some custom milling!
Red Earth - I looked at them. Kind of commercial looking and not as portable as I'd need. Plus the cost brother, trying to bankrupt me? But if you got one come on down and do me some custom milling!
I do have one if you were a little closer i would come cut lumber for you anytime!! They are not bad to move I can do it by myself, they are a little pricey but I cut 3"x12"x12' planks in my spare time and paid for it in no time at all.
So Bushman.....my biologist mind wants to know.....what kind of parent are wolverines? Number of young? How long do they travel with the parent or parents? I assume the males probably aren't real good at parenting?
OU - That's the big reveal, both wolverine's male and female are remarkable parents, paying attention to their kits longer then other members of the weasel family, perhaps excepting otters? Females can shadow their mother for almost a year, and visit her on an ongoing basis. young males appear to follow their father until the late spring following their birth, at which time they disperse. Sometimes after dad has roughed them up a bit.
So are the females allowed to stay within the home range of the mother and bred by the father or are they kicked out? Males I assume are kicked out for competition reasons? Any links to research papers or studies published that I can read?
The collar data shows that the females will overlap territory with their mothers, but males totally leave the area. I just wrote a column that goes into it a bit. I'll post it.
I'm heading out tomorrow morning with more supplies for my partner. He got some nice footage this morning of a wolverine on the river
Brutus was aptly named for someone born into a warrior clan. He was a well muscled dynamo, boss of his territory, when we encountered him four years ago. Brutus’s area was one of the first that we filmed in, and he was the first wolverine we captured on film. He was also one of the first to be positively identified by his distinct chest pattern. The ATA and ACA had just started the run-pole pilot project to determine if in fact wolverine pelt colouration could be used as an indicator of individual wolverines, and Brutus helped prove that it worked. As readers may remember the run-pole setup captures both a photo image of the wolverines distinct chest pattern, and a hair sample for DNA typing. When we last saw Brutus via trail-cam images he was in the peak of his physical condition and without doubt the dominant breeding male in his world.
Four years later my cameraman partner Andrew, is up in Rainbow Lake, once again filming wolverines, when researcher Matt Scafford gets a call about a wounded wolverine in one of the live traps. Andrew accompanies Matt to the live trap where an old beaten warrior of a wolverine patiently awaits their arrival, while munching on the beaver placed in the trap to entice him in. The gulo is in rough shape with a large gaping open wound on the top of its head. The wound is so grievous there is brief discussion on whether the male will even survive, and what is the ethical treatment for an animal in this rough a shape. It’s decided to give the male a shot of antibiotics and to release him unencumbered by a collar, and hope for the best.
Now my partner Andrew is a bit obsessive when it comes to his filming and there was something bothering him about this old senior of a wolverine, a twinge of familiarity. So going back through our file of wolverines he was shocked to discover our old friend Brutus had found him once again. This was odd as we were filming quite a ways from Brutus’s original range so it was obvious that Brutus had left his home, and by the looks of him not without a fight! No one said it was easy to be a wolverine.
Brutus became what we would call a trap bum. He would access the traps and allow himself to be caught in order to eat the beaver. It looked to me like he was making a very wise decision to fatten up while dining within the security of his private and secure dining room. No wolves or other wolverines could disturb him while contained within the confines of the enclosed live trap. Brutus became such a nuisance that the researchers closed the live traps in his area so that he would disperse, but not before leaving him some additional beaver to recharge and have a fighting chance for survival.
So what happened to Brutus? If you were to turn to our researcher friends for answers I suspect we’d be waiting for a while. I’ve discovered that no one in the academic world is quick to jump to any conclusions, and rightly so as they want their findings to be supported by their peers. But I’m not restrained by such constraints and have come to many conclusions about wolverines over the last four years as a result of being involved in the research, filming, and even trapping of wolverines. So I thought I’d share some of my ideas about the life of a wolverine, and perhaps in time we’ll see how accurate they are.
Brutus’s life path is no different then any other male. He was conceived in his father’s territory and will have a life-long affinity to his natal area. He spent his first few months with his mother, but come fall he started following his father throughout his territory. His father was no stranger to Brutus. His dad had faithfully maintained security at his birth den and protected his mother from the threats of other male wolverines and predators while she was in the den. He had also shown up during the summer spending time roaming with Brutus and his sister. But come fall Brutus left his mother and sister, and began shadowing his father, usually half an hour behind. By observation Brutus soon learned the importance of scent posting, prime hunting sites, and the dangers of being a wolverine from his father.
But like all young guys Brutus had a bit of wanderlust and started exploring areas outside of his fathers territory. Short excursions at first, but as winter progressed longer and longer trips away from his home territory, learning to avoid the homelands of other dominant male wolverines. And then March came, and Dad had no room in his territory for another male, as breeding would again begin. During an encounter his father attacked Brutus, going for the head as wolverines are prone to do. His father savaged Brutus and brutalized him to the point he fled for his life, and lucky for him that had, as death was the only other option.
Brutus fled to one of the areas that he had explored on his explorations. His nose had revealed the lack of any scent posts by other dominant males so he knew he was safe. Over the next two years Brutus learned the ins and outs of his new territory and how to become a dominant male. However he was both the hunter, and the hunted. Learning how to prey on beaver, grouse, and hares, which would make up a significant portion of his diet, while avoiding the packs of wolves that lusted for his blood, was no easy job. One mistake and you either starve to death or get killed. A pretty steep learning curve.
But Brutus had both luck and skill on his side and he lived, and not only that he had a secret. Ever so often Brutus would sneak back to his fathers territory. A quick foray down to check on Dad’s scent posts and territorial scratch trees would quickly demonstrate that his father was still in control of his kingdom, and Brutus would depart. But one year Brutus found an empty territory when he returned, his father no longer maintaining the borders of his kingdom. No doubt he was dead. Brutus returned to his birth territory and became the dominant male at age five, when we met him.
It was good to be king, and for several years Brutus ruled as absolute monarch. He bred the three females who’s territories he overlapped and passed his genes on to several new generations. He reaped the bounty of the land, in the process becoming big for his species, a well muscled adonis with fur that shone with health. But one day another male showed up in the territory, and Brutus knew him well, for it was his son. And like his Dad this guy was big and strong, and three years younger. Brutus put up a fierce fight, for no king leaves his throne willingly, but youth and strength won out and his son drove him from his land.
Like an old time biblical prophet Brutus wandered the land, and one full of others who would do him harm. This is prime wolverine country and other dominant males would not permit Brutus any opportunity to occupy their territory so Brutus had to keep moving, and fighting to survive. And then his nose led him to the sweet odour of beaver, nestled inside the live traps, enticing him in, and reacquainting us with Brutus. Miles and miles from his original home this grizzled old survivor refuses to give up. Scavenging wolf kills and the beaver baits of the researchers has given the old guy one more chance. When spring came we departed and our contact with Brutus was over.
I don’t know how, or where his story will end, but while he may not yet be king, he is still Brutus, a legend.
Thanks for the story, I could imagine it as a movie in my head as I read it. Great story about a great beast . Makes me wonder what we don't know about fishers down here. Makes me think we don't know much about animals as we think we might. I guess that is why they are fascinating.
Dale when they did DNA analysis researchers found fisher are more closely related to wolverine than marten. I saw a picture yesterday at a trapper's of a fisher he caught inside a 330, and it's head filled the trap. A real monster
I was here 10 years ago and checked out both Costa Rica and Nicaragua. But there's a lot of country to see. Hope to fish for tarpon while here.
Bush... when you get down there again look up Dan at the Rio Colorado Lodge up in the northwest corner. Terrific tarpon fishing and a nice homey place. There are a few others of varying comfort up there as well. I have been taking groups there for 20 plus years, top shelf tarpon fishing. Kicker is the best is later september. Thanks for all the interesting posts. Osky PS don't be wandering around up there at night, too many coral snakes.
Great info on the wolverines. I'm not sure where we get the notion that everything in nature has to be cut and dried so to speak. I think if a wolverine was pregnant and the time came while crossing a road sh'ed have them there in the ditch and try to raise them. Any animal would. Again great reads and pictures, thank you. Osky
This thread is inspiring, even though I am not a scientist, I would love to keep tabs on a few fisher and study and learn what the do and where they go. I know of a few fisher to start watching and set trail cameras for. They like to hang out a some of my unoccupied marten boxes during the summer. I think I will change this one out to a fisher den box. A fisher spends a lot of time there but can't get in.
Made a quick trip out to resupply the cameraman. Glad I brought the Argo, it's a real beast. Lots of snow in most places, but some areas the snow was burnt right off and I ended up crossing a lot of open water and had to winch up one icy hill. Getting some good film footage though.
Some info from the conclusion of last years season:
We live-trapped 24 wolverines from late-November through mid-April. Traps were open 108 days, or 579 trap nights. We averaged 24 traps nights/new wolverine capture. We caught 13 males with an average weight of 13.62 (range is 12-15.5 kg) and 11 females with an average weight of 9.7 (range is 8.5-13 kg). Seven of the females were lactating and we were able to find one den with two kits. Currently, 18 of the wolverines are wearing radiocollars that will be collecting GPS data through the summer. As of mid-April, we were able to collect 425 days of GPS data at two-hour fix rates. • Males have home ranges that span from 400 - 1200 km2 while females have home ranges from 200 - 500 km2. Plotted GPS data shows wolverines regularly crossing busy high-grade industrial roads as well as the numerous winters roads and pipelines that comprise the Rainbow Lake landscape. The vast majority of wolverine movements were less than 1 km over a two-hour period (n = 1,782). These movements are likely of wolverines that are at carcasses or are resting. The greatest movement distance over a two-hour period was by M6 (14.35 km). • We visited wolverine GPS clusters, or GPS points from a wolverine that are within close proximity of each other (generally 20-30 points < 200 m apart), and found wolverines feeding on the carcasses of black bears, moose and caribou (Table 4). We also found evidence of wolverines hunting grouse, beaver, and snowshoe hare. We found many sites that appeared to be resting areas for wolverines, where the animals would create latrines, caches, and dens through a system of tunnels and holes under down trees. The wolverines would use these areas for weeks at a time, likely hunting for grouse and snowshoe hare in the area. We collected scat from backtracking efforts and will analyze these data in the coming months to better understand wolverine food habits. • We also monitored vehicle traffic on over 100 high-grade industrial roads and winters roads in the Rainbow Lake area. Although we haven't yet summarized these data, initial inspection of these data indicate wolverines are crossing high-grade industrial roads with greater than 100 vehicles/day on a regular basis.
Interesting info Brian ! I have a couple of questions. First how long do you plan to continue this project? Another question is do you think that heavy industry has changed or effects travel patterns in any way? I would think your higher game density down there would enable wolverines to travel less maybe?? I have never believed in "home ranges, or territories" for any of the weasel family, or bears for that matter...they go where the food is most abundant in my experience. We had a real strange year up here. Up in the high country along the NWT border where the wolverine population has always been high, there were virtually none. I know a few trappers up there who put on lots of miles all winter and saw very little sign. Down in the bush country where I was however we were overrun with them! I have never seen anything like it in 30-years of trapping. I ended up taking 6, all males.... 4 of them were big males! Did this on 20-miles of trail. Could have taken a lot more but decided to pull my traps as I didnt understand what was going on. Be intersting to see what next year brings. Just before I left last week we ran into another big male on the trail, and got home to find out my son had seen some too. In bush country it is very rare to actually see them!
Dave - the University is wrapping up their research in April. Low ungulate populations around rainbow. Four seasons of data now and Matt has to now write it up and do his thesis. But the ATA and ACA are continuing on. We have wolverine collared in Birch Mountains, located SE of wood buffalo park. It appears that gulo will tolerate some infrastructure , and Rainbow has a lot, but not heavy traffic. When new logging went into the area and trucks hauled during the night and ran over several wolverine . I actually believe weasel families do maintain territories for the most part, and certainly the breeding wolverines. But why wouldn't they migrate out in search of food if conditions warranted it? Glad u liked it 52
Looks like the argo is treating you good, about the only machine that can run in any weather. How many wolverine have been collared in the birch mountain area?
Oh ya, i see you made your passenger get out and walk the edge of the ice to get a picture of you, smart man..
Iqaluk is aptly named. It can be used as a noun, meaning "fish". Or as an intransitive verb, "to catch a fish". So one can say, "Iqaluk iqaluktuq." (Iqaluk caught a fish. or Iqaluk is catching a fish.) Most Inuit get their names based on their character, so if one's rambunctious and gets into everything, they may be named pamiuqtuuq (river otter). Perhaps this isn't the first time Iqaluk and water have met!
For falling in water accidently the old folks use the word "chaqamaq" the a has the "uh" sound. It seems every year I get the chaqamaq award. I too went into the water 2 springs in a row now. Last year a friend from a nearby village was in town for some meetings and wanted to run upriver to hunt birds and look for eggs, as the river had just broken open that day. It's a big deal to get up there first and try to find the season's first seagull eggs and bless elders. Your name will travel all around town and facebook if you do. So, I quickly changed the gear-lube in my 40 horse and launched my 18 foot Lowe boat in the brown, fast moving current with ice chunks and logs floating by crushing everything. I didn't care so much about the eggs, I wanted wood! I had just bought this new 16" easy start Stihl and wanted to try it out.
Sure enough, as we launched, other hunter gatherers were watching and scurrying to get their boats in the water too. I said to my friend, "Yoi, we're the first ones in this year!" Was nice to feel water underneath you, the current pulling you here and there and maneuvering a boat through obstacles. The smell of fresh water, the feel of the breeze, the sight of waves after 8 long months of ice.
10 miles later we entered the mouth of the Noatak River. No eggs, but we did find a lot of good logs. Man, that new Stihl went right to work slicing through straight-grained, dry spruce no problem. I think I got wood just to use my chainsaw more than to get wood. Next thing I know I started getting greedy. Was about 1 AM and I walked on this ice chunk about 20 yards in diameter. There was good wood on the ice and some along the edges. I got the wood on the ice and there was one really good log just along the edge. The ice was grayish in color so I though if I really reach, I may be able to grab a branch and pull it up. Next thing I know I'm in the water. Immediately I threw my $310 chainsaw on the ice. My hip boots filled quickly and the current began taking my legs under the ice. I tried pulling myself up but the ice kept giving way. My partner got out of the boat and went to save me but somehow I got up. Didn't care about getting wet. Just worried about my 'saw.
The spring before another friend of mine and his young son and I tipped over in a 10 foot Smoker Craft but that's another story.
They caught another female this morning. That's 3 caught in last 24 hours. She was lactating. Yukon- last summer collar data showed a lot of movement along water courses. Clusters at beaver complexes where they stashed beaver in peat meadows. Very cool
They caught another female this morning. That's 3 caught in last 24 hours. She was lactating. Yukon- last summer collar data showed a lot of movement along water courses. Clusters at beaver complexes where they stashed beaver in peat meadows. Very cool
Last year I had a wolverine steal a lynx I followed his tracks through the bush for about a mile, he went straight for a muskeg area where he dug a hole quite deep and stashed my lynx, after he buried it he urinated on the pile and several other spots around the hole.
You bet Red Earth. Up in Birch Hills. They put in weeks of work with little results and then all this action. Females being in dens keeps everyone close to home I think.
You bet Red Earth. Up in Birch Hills. They put in weeks of work with little results and then all this action. Females being in dens keeps everyone close to home I think.
Was that lynx buried in moss?
. Yeah it was buried in moss, I talked to Neil a week ago and he told me it had been slow sure glad to hear it picked up, my line is about 20 miles as the crow flies from neils I hope to have time next year to look after a couple run poles. That 3 legged wolverine has me curious A couple years ago old Alan Purdy had one get in a wolf trap it got away minus its paw i figure it could be the one seeing as how we are so close.
Wow they did a number on that one! Not sure if I mentioned this before or not but I found a wolverine at a moose kill one time. It was still warm, and no damage at all! I wasnt really sure how it died until I skinned it;it had one small hole from right behind the front leg. A wolf obviously got ahold of it. Never could understand why it didnt climb a tree???
Another wolverine fell victim to wolves today. I think a lot more wolverines get killed by wolves then we ever expected.
The research sure blows holes in the old wives tales about wolverine whopping on wolves - don't it?
Not necessarily...probably depends on how many wolves. There have been fights filmed where the wolvy won, and they certainly dont go out of their way to avoid wolves.
Yukon - I suspect any footage you've seen of wolverines fighting wolves are because they've been penned up together. Every single wolverine track that was followed during the 3 year research showed absolute avoidance of wolves. I have no doubt that a wolverine that is cornered will fight like...well...a wolverine! But if they can they will climb a tree to get away.
Just this week my partner filmed a wolverine on a moose carcass. Head comes up, wolverine is scenting the air, goes on alert and stares upriver, turns and bolts away as fast as possible. Five minutes later a wolf is skirting the site sticking to the bush. A couple hours later the wolverine returns and is on high alert the whole time its feeding. I believe wolverines are terrified of wolves.
Rich - lots of old wives tales about wolverines seem to be getting discredited. such as solitary loners, scavengers not hunters, need snow during denning, avoid industrial infrastructure etc.
Rich - lots of old wives tales about wolverines seem to be getting discredited. such as solitary loners, scavengers not hunters, need snow during denning, avoid industrial infrastructure etc.
Went up to my line today and the only wolverine tracks I saw were on a busy oilfield road, I saw some beside a drilling rig awhile back.
Rich - lots of old wives tales about wolverines seem to be getting discredited. such as solitary loners, scavengers not hunters, need snow during denning, avoid industrial infrastructure etc.
Next thing will be you can't really dispatch them by putting a paper bag over their head and suffocating them.
Headed out to retrieve my partner from the mountains after 28 days in the blind / camp. Spring has come early after the mildest winter in memory. I'm really liking the tracked argo.
It's hard to believe I was snowmobiling a couple weeks ago and guys are already out on the rivers in jet boats this week. It's crazy how weather has changed so much in my life time.
I've been having a bit of fun helping my buddy and fellow trapper get some material to his cabin site and start his cabin. A remote area that takes a bit of effort to get into but good trapping country.
New 6x6 eh? Nice site for the cabin, i'm thinking my next cabin will be out in the open, main reason is forest fires. Much less chance of it going up in flames. Now i have been clearing and thinning trees, sounds like another dry summer coming up.
The 6 x 6 is my buddies and he uses it trapping pretty steady. A lot faster than an argo but won't go where it goes, but maybe with those tracks Sask is suggesting?
mjk that is a great outfit i love the angle of attack of the back tracks it solves the biggest problem with the camoplast track system . after 5 years of useing the track system we have never had a problem with the front ones the back ones are a different story . im not a fan of belt drive bikes but i wonder how the belt takes the low end torque of the track system , have u had any belt issues mjk.
Don't you hate it when this happens? I took my black bear out for a walk. I left him tied to a tree for an hour while I was cooking breakfast and a grizzly came along and ate him.
Then to top it off my pet fox slipped his chain and took off. I went looking and found a golden eagle perched on top of him, after just killing him. A sad day
Don't you hate it when this happens? I took my black bear out for a walk. I left him tied to a tree for an hour while I was cooking breakfast and a grizzly came along and ate him.
Don't you hate it when this happens? I took my black bear out for a walk. I left him tied to a tree for an hour while I was cooking breakfast and a grizzly came along and ate him.
I don't know Bushman that looks like a classic suicide or some type of sick bear sexual fantasy to me...grizz is just an innocent bystander....prob didn't even know he was being filmed
So....the black bear commits suicide by hanging, and along comes Mr. Brownie to "take advantage" of it. Jeez. Do you guys, er, folks, have issues? I mean, really. Can it be THAT bad? Of course there is North Carolina...................
While out looking for sharptail leks with my grandson and buddy we came upon a set of deer legs hanging. That deer must have suffered hung up in the fence waiting to die. Yup trapping is cruel.
drove through a sharpie lek turkey hunting about a week ago. One of the males ran over and attacked my tire. Fun to watch when a female wanders onto the lek. The males lose it.
While out looking for sharptail leks with my grandson and buddy we came upon a set of deer legs hanging. That deer must have suffered hung up in the fence waiting to die. Yup trapping is cruel.
I sat with an bushman today. I always listen for stories. 1936 out with his dad snaring spruce grouse or fools hens. Here's where the story gets real. Slim pole with snare on top slowly lowered over birds roosting in trees after being spooked up by dogs. His dad would slowly lower snare over birds ... And here's where it gets real. The snare didn't go around neck. You loaded it around body so wings were pinned then pulled down out of tree. A quick move to crush skull while holding wings so they wouldn't beat and scare off remaining birds. They use to fill grain sacks with birds. I get pumped when I hear real story like that
Attention to business has robbed me of some bush time but a man has to earn a living. But all is not lost as I can plan out my next treks. I'm heading north with my wife to celebrate our 25th anniversary on a fishing trip in June . What a good woman. Going to a spot my NWT buddy calls remote which means something. Jetboating up the McKenzie then up river to Blackwater Lake. Can't wait It's traditional territory for my amigo and I'm hoping he will share some knowledge and visit some old sites.
Not far from Great Bear Lake, another dream destination
I was heading up to visit some researcher buddies who are studying mountain goats but the weather is too extreme today. I have driving rain while they are in a snow storm. They have had no goat kid recruitment this year, zilch for babies. The goats are so stressed out from predators that they didn't even get pregnant. The researchers have seen wolves and grizzlies almost daily so the goats are on the move constantly. This photo is from up there a few seasons ago, so nothing new except no young ones to chase.
The answer is obvious. So many in Alaska bust Ted Spraker's balls about predator control, yet reap the benefits from increased moose and caribou. He gets a huge thank you from me. That said, I don't even live in that country. He has done well for my area, in general, as has the B.O.G. in general. My hat is off to them. Good luck in your area. Without killing the large predators, well, you know the results
I'm heading North this Sunday for my expedition up to Black Water Lake. I hope to have a good story or two when I return.
But I hope I don't top this one. I'm heading this way and I went to school with one of these pickers. A CBC report
What's the best way to fend off a wolf that's stalking you? Bait it with a bear cub, of course.
It sounds incredible, but that's exactly what Joanne Barnaby did when she got into a terrifying situation while out picking morel mushrooms near Fort Smith, N.W.T., last Friday.
Barnaby and her friend Tammy Caudron headed out to an area burned by wildfires to spend an hour or two searching for the elusive morels. They soon became separated, leaving Barnaby alone with her loyal dog, Joey.
Once her pail was full of mushrooms, she turned to head back toward her truck.
Fort Smith Yellowknife map Joanne Barnaby was mushroom picking when she got separated from her friend near Fort Smith, N.W.T. (CBC)
"I heard this growl behind me. There was a long, tall, very, very skinny wolf. A black wolf. And his legs were spread and his hair was standing, and he was growling, and baring his teeth."
Joey charged the animal, but the wolf stood its ground.
"I don't think Joey expected that," Barnaby says. "I didn't want him hurt, of course, but I also knew that if the wolf got Joey, I'd be next."
'Trying to wear me down'
The wolf started pacing back and forth in the direction of the truck. Barnaby says it was forcing her to go farther east, away from the highway.
"It took me a while to realize that he knew what he was doing. He was trying to wear me down. He was trying to separate Joey and I," she says.
"I think he was weak. He didn't look healthy. He looked old to me ... I don't think he wanted to take us both on."
What followed was a 12-hour hunt. The wolf continued to pursue Barnaby and Joey, as they were pushed farther from her truck.
'I started praying to not let the mosquitos drive me insane.'
- Joanne Barnaby
"He was dogged. He was just determined," Barnaby says. "I was in trouble."
Barnaby said she became dehydrated, her calves and thighs were aching, and there was another vicious attacker that was testing her mental strength.
"I was going crazy with mosquitoes. There were zillions of mosquitoes."
Dangerous plan pays off
At about 4:30 a.m., Barnaby heard a loud noise. She quickly recognized it as a mother bear. Listening closely, trying to drown out the buzz of mosquitoes, sure enough she heard a cub respond from far away in the distance. The two bears had been separated.
"I realized that there was a chance that the mother bear would tackle the wolf if she felt that the wolf was a threat," Barnaby explains.
"So I made the choice of walking towards the cub."
It worked. After walking about 20 minutes, Barnaby's dangerous plan paid off.
"I heard this big crashing behind me and realized that the mama bear had attacked the wolf, or maybe the other way around, I don't know, but they were fighting and I could hear the wolf yelping and I could hear the mama bear growling and I could hear all this crashing and I just took off!" Decision to live
Finally free of the wolf, Barnaby and Joey both "perked right up" when they saw a lake.
"I had brought one can of beer with me. Silly choice," she laughs. "That little can of beer ended up saving my life."
She drank can after can of water and finally took a break.
'This one was a decision to live and it was really powerful.'
- Joanne Barnaby
"I started praying to not let the mosquitos drive me insane. Then I just started talking to people I love, some of whom are still with us, some of whom have passed.
"As I talked to them and told them how much I loved them," Barnaby said, her voice breaking, "everything they mean to me, it energized me, and I was determined to see everybody again.
"All night I had been making decisions of sorts, but this one was a decision to live and it was really powerful."
Lessons learned
When the pair finally climbed onto the highway Saturday morning, Barnaby saw vehicles parked on the road about a kilometre away.
"I was like, 'OK, we're good. We're really good.'"
A police truck, carrying a local RCMP officer and a Parks Canada worker, drove to Barnaby and Joey.
"They both jumped out of the truck and we had big hugs, and of course they were full of questions, but they didn't have any bug spray for me! I couldn't believe it!" she laughs.
Barnaby is still kicking herself for not bringing her gun into the bush, calling it a "huge mistake."
"Don't do what I did. Don't go without your gun," she says. "Anything can happen.
"If I had had that gun, it would've been a very short situation."
Made it to my first stop in the NWT. Stayed the night in Hay River This is my home town and when I was a kid the harbour and town was full of boats and workers. Before the Dempster highway was built everything went on a barge here, and then down the McKenzie River. Pretty quiet now. Off to Ft Simpson today.
I was heading up to visit some researcher buddies who are studying mountain goats but the weather is too extreme today. I have driving rain while they are in a snow storm. They have had no goat kid recruitment this year, zilch for babies. The goats are so stressed out from predators that they didn't even get pregnant. The researchers have seen wolves and grizzlies almost daily so the goats are on the move constantly. This photo is from up there a few seasons ago, so nothing new except no young ones to chase.
Brian I assume this is Caw Ridge you are talking about. Too bad as these goats are always a treat to see. They seem so tame I would think they are a pretty easy kill for a Grizzly unless they can get to some escape cover. I hope to draw a sheep tag in there this year but we will see. Been a couple of years since I have been up there.
Did you look up Andrew Stanley,famous star of the wild north FHA?
He should just keep going past Simpson and come see Muskrat411 we'll jet boat up the Rat River look for the Mad Trapper! If he goes up the Nahanni River, Headless Valley is named after my great uncles. we'll there headless corpses any ways. True story, Game of Thrones Deh Cho style.
What about Albert Faille the famous gold prospector.Did he ever find his gold up the nahanni?
Turns out the gold he was looking for was on the Yukon side. A prospector stumbled on it a few years back while caribou hunting......about 5 km from my cabin. I have since sold that line, but talked to a geologist friend this spring that did some work there last fall....he said he has never seen anything like it...just roll back the moss and the gold is right there. I trapped all over that country for 20-years and never knew it!!
Made it to Ft Simpson with one stop in Jean Marie River to buy Moccassins. Saw two baby great greys on side of raid plus a lot of Sandhill cranes. Heading to Wrigley then into the Mckenzie River this evening and heading north. Already did Nahanni on a couple trips. We might try the Root River and head up into the Mckenzie Mountains. Come on down for visit 411. Remember were connected by Johnny Bouvier!
What about Albert Faille the famous gold prospector.Did he ever find his gold up the nahanni?
Turns out the gold he was looking for was on the Yukon side. A prospector stumbled on it a few years back while caribou hunting......about 5 km from my cabin. I have since sold that line, but talked to a geologist friend this spring that did some work there last fall....he said he has never seen anything like it...just roll back the moss and the gold is right there. I trapped all over that country for 20-years and never knew it!!
Everything likes the Yukon better, especially gold.
My wife and I have returned from our 25th wedding anniversary trip. We did 2000 miles in one week getting to destinations. It was over 90 degrees / 34 celsius when we started out but cooled off as the week progressed. Saw a lot of bird life , Sandhill cranes, Peregrin falcons,
We drove to Wrigley NWT which is as far as you can go on summer road up here. We put our boats into the Mckenzie River and headed 60 miles north to the confluence of the Blackwater River. As we made our way up river we could see a forest fire was burning.
As it turned out the fire was burning where we were headed. We decided to camp the night and see if the fire would pass by. The next day as we headed up the Blackwater river we were in Smoke and flames along much of the way. We were very cautious as a small river is no protection from a fire storm. It was surreal watching flames burning alongside the river, black on one side and sometimes green on the other
As we got closer to the lake we made our way out of the fire zone and the smoke started to clear. We had 7 miles of rapids, bad enough that most locals avoid the river
Actually too hairy in spots to even try and get a picture
Once we broke out into the lake we were in paradise it seemed.
One very cool feature is the bear "Ridge" that guards the entrance to the river from the lake, can you see him? Start at the claws by the water edge and the rest pops into view
I found a minnow up on shore which showed why the blue silver hooks worked
Bushman it's funny you tell that story, I'm driving down to OK and as I was coming through out of Whitehorse, I found an AM radio station I got to listen to a Ballard , it was called the Ballard of Barnaby Lake, but it's a little different, something about whiskey and getting drunk and dancing with a wolf and sow with Cubs. I liked it There sure is some pretty country up there
Looks like a fantastic trip Brian! Great pictures too. A biologist told me one time that when a lake trouts head looks to big for its body it is a sign that the fish is going downhill for whatever reason. Not sure if thats true but I have seen it here too.
I sure enjoy your journal. The predator worship sickness started in the USA in the hippie era and has spread like a cancer worldwide. Only we know and believe that predators need control. We are a minority and politics trumps over science. Even some scientists are on the protection side because of politics and money.
Once you're disconnected from the circle of life and death it's easier to start bunny hugging. Try having a black bear grab your grand daughter and see what it does to your attitude. I used to give black bears in camp one chance, now I give them one bullet instead.
I had a shifty black bear that stalked my camp. Used to lie under spruce tree and hide until your back was turned and then grab gear you just set down. I knew it was a bad one. I had my gun handy and told my family to let me know if they saw a bear as I was plugging it. I was sitting in my cabin when my 7 year old granddaughter burst in and told me she had just sen the bear.
Where?
Right on the deck and I just petted it!
I grabbed my 308 ran outside and saw the butt end of the bear running out of camp. i ran as fast as a fat middle aged trapper can move and caught up with it in open poplar. I barked at it and the bear stopped, stood up, leaned on a poplar and stuck it's head around the tree to take a look at me.
I take comfort in knowing I was the last thing that bear ever saw. It was not a big bear, 2-3 year old male my guess.
I went back to the cabin and got the rest of the story. Bear followed her up on deck, she thought it was my malamute so she turned and pet the bear without thinking. The bear recoiled, stood up, and huffed at her which was when She burst into the cabin. Still makes my blood run cold thinking what could have been.
And in case you think that's a one off I've shot 3 predatory black bears in 20 years and every one of them meant business. Young males every one of them.
I was charged by a small bear once.I was making a beaver set one evening early November I think it was.I was setting the crossover out on a fairly long dam.I was hunched down mking the set when I heard a rhythmic splashing sound.I looked around and a small bear was running along the dam towards me.I stood straight up with the sandvik ready to dent his skull.When I stood up he was about 30 feet away and put on the brakes and turned tail and ran back the way he came full speed. I believe this bear was used to hunting the odd beaver,and when he seen me hunched over and smelled the castor on my clothes,he thought I was a beaver.When I stood up he realized I was something else and got a scare\surprize,lol.
Im loving your journal Bushman, always nice to see what you are up to out there, keep the pictures coming! And wow, thats a scary situation with your grand daughter. I agree with your logic though, put a bullet in those bears, they are nothing but trouble.
I got charged by a small bear a couple weeks ago. I was out canoeing and fishing for the day with a friend, and we pulled over to check out the rapids/portage trail. We started walking down the trail, and I just heard some faint noises that didn't seem right. So I stopped to listen, and didn't hear anything. So as we kept walking, I heard something again. I knew something wasn't right, and my friend says its just the wind. Now I'm just pausing and listening, I didn't want to walk any further. I could hear breathing, and then it got louder and closer. The bear was coming right towards us, so I grabbed a small dead tree on the ground and started waving it, and hitting some trees and brush while yelling at it. We had nowhere to run, so I figured standing my ground would be the only option in this case. Thankfully the bear go to about 10 yards and wasn't sure what it wanted to do. It paced back and forth huffing, snapping its jaws and swatting. My friend was behind me and I told her to just slowly walk back into the river and ill keep an eye on the bear. We backed up right into the water and let the bear calm down a bit. I figured hitting the water would be the best bet as I don't think a bear would be as comfortable attacking anything while in the current like that. Thankfully it ended up going back up the ridge, but still didn't go very far. I walked along the river to get the canoe, and promptly got the h#ll out of there.
If I would have had a rifle, that bear would have been toast. 99% of the time bears will be long gone before you even catch a glimpse of them, but theres always the one odd ball that will change your way of thinking. Don't let your guard down and don't be too comfortable around these guys, you never know which bear is having a bad day.
Seems any one who spends time in bear country runs into a bad one sooner or later. Thank goodness 95% of them are harmless. Do you remember Fred Trost and Michigan Outdoors way back in the day? He had a clip that a guy filmed while fishing in lower 48. It showed a small black bear stalking the angler and making a determined effort to take him down. The angler whipped it across the face with his rod several times and kept screaming at the bear. It went on for quite a while, can't remember how it ended, but he got away. That film sequence to me show a classic predatory attack. I suspect a 100 pound bear could kill an average person and even a superman on a bad day. You get ambushed from behind you could be in a lot of trouble. Don't forget to draw eyes on the back of your hat, throws predators off.
I've been lurking on a Canadian Auction site that specializes in Aboriginal and Inuit items. I finally bought my first item. A small scoop fashioned out of copper and musk ox horn in mid 1800's
I woke up yesterday in the mountains. I opened my eyes, stretched my arms over my head, and said " Happy Birthday Brian" I turned 57. Part of me wonders how I got to 57 so fast, but another part of me says I've done a lot of living for my age. Bottom line though is, I was left thinking life is sweet. I came out of mountains today to have dinner with Mom and Dad to celebrate my fathers 86 birthday, as he was born on July 26 1930. I asked Dad what he thought of turning 86 and he looked at me and said " Son, all I know is life is so sweet." So are genetics Dad...thanks.
So a few things went down the last few days. I've been looking for where an old horse trail intersects one of my trails. I knew where it hit my trail along the creek, but have never been able to find the other trail head. The bush is thick and it's on steep sidehills. I had a couple hours the other day and decided to make a concentrated effort to find the trail. It only took a short time. I just cut across a sidehill and hit a heavy trail and started following it. Within a few minutes I spotted a familiar sight. An aboriginal fellow had owned and trapped my line, back in the 90's. Some white guy owned in in between and never trapped.
I've come to recognize his lynx sets so I was pumped when I saw what looked like one of his sets.
I decided that what a 57 year old needed was a day trip up into the alpine. i got a thing about this place called Caw Ridge. so decided to visit. Got a few miles into my trip and hit fresh grizzly crap. Ohhh back home.
I climbed up into the Alpine and the weather was perfect except for mach 10 winds.
See the sheep? I saw about 200 ewes and lambs over the course of the day. i screwed up and left phone on roam and ran it down. of course perfect photo opportunity arose. came over a ridge on foot and a band of 30 were right there. i was 15' from the lambs for 10 minutes. man they were cute
By the way thanks for the 1,000,000+ views of my journal. I've been writing since I'm 14 but I only write in a few things constantly. Number 1 is my own personal journal, next my column for Alberta OutDoor's men ( greatest mag around) then the Alberta Trappers Association magazine, and finally and maybe most important this forum. We all are learning to navigate this new digital world but this forum has been an old friend and you all have been friends in a digital kind of way., So thanks
Banner year for berries. Within an acre I have raspberries, blue berries, cloud berries, high bush cranberries, saskatoons, and even some strawberries still ripe. Great eating.
I like grilling the breast on grouse, lay a piece of Havarti Cheese on the breast until melted then put blueberries on top of the melted cheese and eat when hot. Hmmm
I've been getting lots of bush time but pretty much exciting stuff like repairing and staining cabins. Yesterday though took the jet boat out and checked on some hunting spots and a buddies cabin. Got to run some white water and went on a death hike to check out a lick my buddy wanted to show me. I've never though that hunting around a lick is that good personally but he was jacked up. 3 more weeks and bow season opens up. Hunting soon.
We've been having a wet year as I mentioned with lots of lightning and thunder. A hotel under construction just burnt down after getting hit by lightning. We also had a direct strike on a tree about 150 yards from our house. It blew out the controls on my electric gate.
Hi Brian, what season starts for bow season in a week? We have an early black Bear season that starts here on Sept. 17 I think it is. That is our earliest season that starts here. I haven't been on here all summer. Caught up on some beautiful pics of yours and your journal. Always nice stories, and pics. Thanks for sharing your beautiful area on here. Lucky you are.
On Aug 25th moose - elk - deer - etc are all open for bow.
I blasted out to the coast for some fishing this week. fished off Vancouver Island. Action was slow but the company was good and the scenery stunning. We managed to boat some springs or kings as some call them.
JEEZ! I just saw that you have had more "READS" than Family Trapper's daughter filleting halibut! And you did it all, right here! Way over a million! I'm impressed, to say the least.
Myself and fellow trapper Bill Ambercrombie participated in the writing of this document which refutes some commonly held beliefs about wolverines onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jwmg.21137/full To my knowledge this is the few times trappers had input into a peer reviewed research paper. A big salute to Alberta Conservation Association for seeking out trappers as partners on this project
Thanks FT I took off after that elk, right after getting back from the eats coast. I've flown about 5,000 miles in the last 10 days.
I went back to the point on Tuesday evening where I had spotted the elk on and worked my way along the shore, upstream. The wind followed the river current, and that mountain river is noisy so I got in undetected. Not much sign coming down to the point, just one heavy beaten game trail. I walked in 50 yards and could see the bush was a jungle of wild rose bushes and thorns, standing 5' high. The game had one trail only pounded down and it was way too thick for a bow shot so I backed out. I went back onto the point and started my way along the upriver portion. As I rounded the point I started to see a few more trails coming in. It was starting to get dark so I cut straight west back to my vehicle. As I cut across the center of the point I hit several heavy game trails running north / south. But little for tracks or other sign. But to me it looked like all the action was heading south so I decided to return in the morning.
Got back in early and worked my way along one of the trails. Nice and easy going on the path and I took my time. It started to look real elky to me and sure enough I hit fresh elk scat. Some calf and adult. I had seen a couple calves with the herd the other day so figured it was same bunch. I spotted a fresh rub through the trees and worked my way over to check it out.
It was freshly done. sap was clear and still flowing down the tree and shavings curled up along the base of the trunk. I was in old growth pine and spruce forest with mossy floor and pretty open view. Just the kind of place the solo bulls like. I scanned around looking for more sign and sat quiet for a while. I pulled my phone out to take a picture when I heard an elk bark off to my south about 30-50 yards away. The wind was blowing to me so I knew the elk hadn't scented me.
But I played this game before so I didn't waste my time calling but rather backed off and circled downwind hoping to setup and intercept a bull circling around me. I hit the edge of the river way quicker than I suspected so I waited in ambush for a while but no action. I walked down onto the shore and hid for a while by a heavy game crossing thinking a bull might try and sneak across the river. While hid there I heard four cow calls on the other side of the river over about a 45 minute span. No way to cross so I went back into the bush and stalked into the area the call came from.
I was in the bulls bedroom. There were half a dozen trails intersecting at the spot. Funneled there by the river and steep ridges it was a thoroughfare for game moving around. The flat itself didn't show much daily elk occupation except for the bull. And he is strategically placed next to a river for escape, multiple trails to intercept travelling cows, and tons of food as he is the only guy around.
In one spot I could see where he took off, a tree he knocked over, and a fresh rub.
I'll leave this bull until late October or November assuming I haven't harvested a bull. I cleared a game trail out so I can sneak back in at some point once the leaves drop and it's gun season. A tree stand would be deadly right now during bow season but I have other spots to check out as well. We're bringing horses out next week which opens up a whole lot of area I avoid as I'm not up for packing an elk out of there on my back, horses however are a game changer.
The hunt goes on. We played with the big bull for two days, but he wins for now. We actually had him located within a 1/4 mile section of a point but he chose it well. Impossible to penetrate silently, and he wouldn't come out. Swampy area surrounded by overgrowth so thick you had to force your way through it. But we found an old overgrown road that leads to a point overlooking his honey hole so we cleaned it up on the way out. I might return quietly and sit and wait and see what happens. Steep mountainside trail leading down into the flat
found some massive trees down on the flat
The entire Smoky river narrows down to 25 yards across with a strong flow, would be an interesting ride in the boat
I'm now hunting further down river. Seen a couple bull moose, couple cows, and several deer. Going out for a week so we'll see how we make out. Then out for dads moose hunt
Holy chit is that ever a huge tree bushman,you could build an overnighter in there and not even have to kill the tree. You could hang a few marten boxes on that one.
Boco that tree is the most massive white spruce I've ever seen. I contacted forestry and they're choppering out some staff to measure the circumference. They feel based on the photo it may be an Alberta record. They would steal some of it's cones for cross breeding as it shows unusual characteristics for a tree in Alberta. The younger spruce in proximity to it are also larger than average, probably descended from this monster. it'll be interesting to find out the rest of the story.
I did score a major find though. As I was hunting an island sandbar along the river I saw a skull sticking out of the sand. When I first saw it I thought bear based on the size but when I dug the jaws out I saw it was a cougar, and a big one. F & W gave me a found wildlife certificate so I've got it home.
Too thin to sew? balony. You may have to use some patch material however depending on the whole. You can make that silnet material if you want to get serious.
Not sure how Kif does it. Call they will be more than helpful I am sure. Or go to the Kif forum and ask away. Some great folks there. http://www.kifaruforums.net
I have thought about hanging the tent for sure. With the stove installed however I don't find it in the way. I use it as a hanging anchor point. I usually have multiple wires hanging off the pole to dry gloves etc. I also hang my lantern off it. xxx
I personally sewed the attachments loops on the outside to produce a higher anchor point in order to pull out the tent at head level. And it is something I would really encourage.
Can't find a photo of it on the outside. But you can see what it does for me on the inside. To the rear of my head you can see the pucker where it is pulled out. I have not taken my liner out since I installed it so I sewed it right to the tent at these spots as well. Otherwise the liner is drooping and I didn't want that either. Just a regular sewing machine I got at a garage sale. Hmm you can see the hole I had fixed too. ;0)
I used to use material clamps like shown in the second photo but got tired of them coming off. You can see them in use here. Now their are loops at these spots at each seam if I choose to use them. Placed a little higher however. Love them.
I'm going to add this for those having trouble making a round loop. I have used this method but prefer the method used by Boco, mostly because it is what I learned about 40 years ago.
One of our Instructors who harvests wolves consistently every year has a technique he has demonstrated at our Instructors meetings and at several of our convention. If you are looking at the snare he likes the lock to be at about 10 o'clock so it will drop very fast. He uses a "W" at the end of his support wire. What he does is take a very fine wire, a really light strand of copper wire will do, and he wraps it around the support wire, then winds it around the snare cable loop about 8" back from the lock. Just enough wraps so it holds but will pull out with very slight pressure. This will make even 7 x 7 wire make a nice round loop. If you look real close you can see that light wire holding the loop.
I had put this up in a post a few years ago but I will add it here as it pertains to the discussion and it should add to the conversation. Brian if you want the post moved to a new thread just say the word. My take on loading came from models of prebuilt snares I got from Rally Hess. A master snareman and someone that believes heavily in loading. The terminology and such that I put on here is my own concoction to make it more clear. The cable I am using is 1/16th 7 by 7 and prone to be a teardrop. I post this here to show that loading can have huge affect on shape. Yukon you ask why people dislike a teardrop. A lot more taken with tear drop than without that is for sure. But that comes from far more snares being made without than with IMO. As well as trapper not knowing how to load them. I use the same method as Bctomcat. When I look at a teardrop I see a snare shape exactly opposite of the shape I would want for the target. A large mass going in on top. (the head of a wolf or lynx) and a large opening on the bottom. (the feet). Creating a snare that I believe would be more prone to a leg being alllowed to enter the snare with the head. It just feels better to me to have the rounder shape. And one more conducive to the head up high in the snare. And I think you can get by with a smaller opening as so much of the loop is not having in a non target area. Creating even more weight on the snare distorting the shape. I like the idea of having the large opening up high where the head is entering. Also it covers a wider area of the trail where the target is coming through. (the head). That can't hurt. But more importantly is the speed. You have to drag closed a teardrop shaped snare all the way to the end. Compared to a loaded snare that naturally wants to close. Causing less pull on the animal and less likely for detection and backout.
Example of a 7 by 7 1/16 inch cable snare
Take that same snare and build in some lift on the cable behind the lock and you begin to get a shape that opens up the snare for better head entry.
Take that same snare and load and shape it and you will end up with this. Granted this is not a wolf snare but I bet you can go a long way to opening up the shape and make it a lot faster with loading it. The picture like the ones above were taken with the snare held vertical not laying down. This is the hanging shape. I achieve this by loading and shaping. The loading and shaping zone are described on the box.
Heavily loading the first inches past the lock dictates the direction of the cable as it circles around. I like to shoot for a horizontal direction rather than the slanted one you get with a teardrop. I continue to load further but with a lot less pressure. I also like to shape the cable in the shaping zone as well to round out the opposite side. Done the same way as loading but with a lot less pressure. And wow fast in comparison to a teardrop is saying it lightly. You just can't compare how a teardrop snare closes compared to a loaded snare. A
Here inlies the issue you have to be very careful when loading snares. Many snare you build are not set up to take loading. Thus a good reason to make your own. When you load heavily you need to account for the curling of the cable within the lock. Compare the two photos below. This snare can not be loaded.
This snare can be.
Resulting in this.
When I look at this snare I see a small opening that could possibly brush up agains the side of a wolf's head and cause him to defer to the right or left or even back out. haha. Watch you will probably get a perfect catch in it. ;0)
Hopel this helps some guys new and old to snaring. Brian I hope it adds to your journal. We can move the discussion on loading to a new thread if people are interested in carrying it on further.
Taxi - No i have not measured the skull, good idea I will. It was missing one canine so I took a large wolf tooth and inserted it into the spot. Looks good but the cougar has bigger diameter tooth.
ridge Reaper - not sure of your posts intention but thinking you have made a mistake. Either that or you have been up on that ridge drinking moonshine.
Taxi - No i have not measured the skull, good idea I will. It was missing one canine so I took a large wolf tooth and inserted it into the spot. Looks good but the cougar has bigger diameter tooth.
ridge Reaper - not sure of your posts intention but thinking you have made a mistake. Either that or you have been up on that ridge drinking moonshine.
It would be ideal to mold and cast the same canine from a similar sized cat.
Boco that tree is the most massive white spruce I've ever seen. I contacted forestry and they're choppering out some staff to measure the circumference. They feel based on the photo it may be an Alberta record. They would steal some of it's cones for cross breeding as it shows unusual characteristics for a tree in Alberta. The younger spruce in proximity to it are also larger than average, probably descended from this monster. it'll be interesting to find out the rest of the story.
I did score a major find though. As I was hunting an island sandbar along the river I saw a skull sticking out of the sand. When I first saw it I thought bear based on the size but when I dug the jaws out I saw it was a cougar, and a big one. F & W gave me a found wildlife certificate so I've got it home.
Very cool find I am interested in what the cat scored as well. Did you dig around for any other bones?
I've been on the river in a hunt camp since Saturday. Weather has been a bit warm and even mosquitos which is unusual for fall. But beautiful fall colours and lots of animals moving about
The elk calling has been sporadic and we hadn't spotted one as of last night. I got a couple answers late in the evening so I decided to return to same ridge early in the morn. Buddy dropped me out of his boat and went around the point to walk in from a different direction, while another friend cut through the middle. We were about 1/2 mile apart from each other. I heard two bugles right away but then things went quiet.
I worked my way along a ridge through open aspen forest. I set up on the edge of a clearing and gave a couple cow calls. No answer. I waited a bit to see if a bull might sneak in without calling, very common these days. I decided to give a mature bull call so I let a big bugle rip. Within minutes I hear banging and crashing heading straight towards me. I scanned the bush edge and a cow and calf elk bust into the clearing heading straight for me.
I had camo on my face and the cow couldn't see me. They ran into 20 yards and veered to the right. I thought to myself there has to be a bull around and just then a bull came storming into the clearing and ran towards me. At 35 yards he put the brakes on and was staring in my direction. I had the cross hairs on him so I pulled the trigged and put one into the front of its chest.
The bull ran towards the cows and I took two snap shots but I knew it was a goner. It started getting wobbly and keeled over 80 yards from me. A nice 6 x 6
Before too long my buddy showed up and we started breaking the meat down getting ready for the pack out. My other friend showed up and left to bring the boat back around to our side/
I made 3 trips of about 3/4 of a mile and my buddies made two and we had the elk back at the boat.
I'm heading back out in the morning to help my buddies get their elk.
very nice bull , our bulls are getting quieter every year not sure if it jus me or weather or jus the poor management practices being used on our elk herds , im blaming the later as we have seen this coming for past 20 years but the govt wont listen to anything except cry baby farmers , oh well great elk elk hunt bushman thanks for sharing it with us that are stuck on the job .
very nice bull , our bulls are getting quieter every year not sure if it jus me or weather or jus the poor management practices being used on our elk herds , im blaming the later as we have seen this coming for past 20 years but the govt wont listen to anything except cry baby farmers , oh well great elk elk hunt bushman thanks for sharing it with us that are stuck on the job .
Elk have gotten quite in my area as well, I think its a combo of to many predators and to many hunters in the bush with bugles in their hand.
Congratulations on your bull elk Bushman that's one to be proud of how wore down are the ivory's ? And are you going to make anything with them ? In some area's down here the elk no longer bugle or very rarely due to increasing grizzly and wolf numbers, but where those predators aren't as prevalent they still bugle and carry on. Allan
Well back in for a couple days. They're calling for rain and snow for next 48 hours and then weather smartens up. I'm leaving for the mountains with Dad on Monday in hopes of getting his moose. He's as determined today at 86 as when I was kid following his long legs through the bush of the NWT. My Dad is a cool guy.
My buddies didn't have any luck while they hunted and I spent my time repairing a trapping cabin roof that was getting pretty rough. I hauled in material in boat and framed up new roof system on old roof. We'll tin it in a couple weeks once I'm done hunting.
And this is my $40,000 Mokai replacement. Crazy company wouldn't sell me one of their units so I bought myself a real boat instead.
Nice elk Bushman! Love the other pics, thats a giant of a white spruce, must be at least a couple centuries old for sure. I wish we had rivers that were runnable in a boat like yours, would beat paddling and portaging for sure lol. We are near the edge of the Canadian shield here, so we get lots of drops and ledges, which are impassible by boat and even canoe in most cases.
I'll be out on the river again soon for another moose hunt this year, cant wait.
Ok confession on the Spruce, two trees, I had my son line them up to look like one. I was sure family trapper would spot it but he must be chasing fish or moose sheds. We cut up the elk yesterday. Got to love those back straps as I cut 55 steaks out of them. In regards to elk ivories they are a nice amber colour. Off moose hunting with my Dad today.
I've just returned from five days out with my Dad. It was a bitter sweet experience. To be able to still hunt with your 86 year old father is a blessing that few will ever experience and one I treasure. Yet at the same time it's hard not to be sad as you watch the inevitable changes to a man who was once a giant to you. And at 6' 2'' and 225 solid pounds he was a big man.
My father took me hunting and fishing from day one. As a young kid I remember hurrying to keep up with him as he cut circles through the bush chasing moose. It was around camp fires and sitting in cabins I learned my families history from him. And his stories mostly revolved around hunting camps from his youth spent with grandfathers and uncles, as his Father died when he was 7.
Dad is a story teller and a people person. His mind is a sharp as ever and he was able to hike a couple miles with me in some hilly terrain, but only for one day. After that we posted and called for moose, but no luck so far. The bulls only started moving a couple days ago and we're getting snow right now so maybe next week.
We did harvest a respectable mule deer though. It had 2" of fat on its back and looks like some good eating. Another great hunt with Dad.
Congratulations on the nice mule deer my favorite memories of my dad also revolved around hunting and fishing then family time and work. Good for both of you and I hope you get a good moose for your dad . Allan
Winter weather has struck, predictions are we're going to have a real winter this year
Which makes me happy as I'm hoping to trap hard this winter. I've spent a lot of time on wolverines last few winters so it'll be nice to concentrate on straight up trapping. When I'm cutting up meat I save all the scraps and fill up bait bags for trapping use. I bought a 1000 bags in bulk and they've lasted me for years. I was able to fill up 4 dozen bait bags so far this year so I have a good head start for the season. One bag generally lasts all season and because of their size seem to stay attractive to furbeares.
I stayed home for a few days to let the weather settle and finally tackled a project that's been on the back burner for a while. I collect beadwork and was looking for a free standing design for some shelves. I came up with my own design and it does the job. Only problem is I need a few more now
I'm betting you beaded everyone of those by yourself. Bushman to Bushwoman- "Heading to the cabin to do some beadw....I mean going to trap" Bushman to self- "Hmmmmm....Did I remember my favorite thimble?"
Just kidding, Quite the collection you got there! See a few different styles.
I wish I had beaded those myself Ryan! When my first kids were being born I did some beadwork in the hospital on a loom to pass time but that was decades ago. I buy from northern BC, Alberta, Yukon, and NWT. Mostly NWT though as lots of old friends and relatives still involved in old ways. This is a small portion of what I've got over the years. I'll post some other northern work as soon as I get displays built.
Winter weather has struck, predictions are we're going to have a real winter this year
Which makes me happy as I'm hoping to trap hard this winter. I've spent a lot of time on wolverines last few winters so it'll be nice to concentrate on straight up trapping. When I'm cutting up meat I save all the scraps and fill up bait bags for trapping use. I bought a 1000 bags in bulk and they've lasted me for years. I was able to fill up 4 dozen bait bags so far this year so I have a good head start for the season. One bag generally lasts all season and because of their size seem to stay attractive to furbeares.
I stayed home for a few days to let the weather settle and finally tackled a project that's been on the back burner for a while. I collect beadwork and was looking for a free standing design for some shelves. I came up with my own design and it does the job. Only problem is I need a few more now
Is there anything better than hunting with your son? J pulled a cow elk tag that was only good for a few more days. We headed out this morning and got lucky
I actually was checking google earth and found an area that looked worth checking out. High sand eskers surrounded by tamarack swamps. The place was full of deer and elk sign. After 15 minutes of hunting we bumped 3 cow elk that hung around long enough for my son to take one. 230 yards shot. Drove quad right up to the elk so didn't even have to pack it. Might be the easiest hunt we ever had, but we've earned it!
Hey Brian, looks like a lot of fun. Nothing like getting out in the bush with your kids! I finally got to enjoy an easy hunt myself! Got a good bull right in camp on the first day!
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I was sure family trapper would spot it but he must be chasing fish or moose sheds.
Just catching up on things. Been gone out west for some time. I thought the focus was a little off on the close part of that tree. But to be honest I took your word for it. You got us good!!
Is there anything better than hunting with your son? J pulled a cow elk tag that was only good for a few more days. We headed out this morning and got lucky
No! I agree, hunting and trapping with my boys is one of my favorite experiences of fatherhood!
I wrote up this years elk hunt for a magazine I write for
Silent Elk
The call sounded far off and faint, but I knew better. I’d been busted too many times in the past by an elk I figured was over half a kilometre away, but in reality was only a few hundred meters off in the thick brush. In these conditions an elk’s call fades out faster than most hunters realize. But in this case the bull might as well have been ten miles away, as it had picked its calling location wisely, virtually untouchable.
I was back in hunt camp along the Smoky River with friends, Al & Bing. I’m a late arrival to their over 30-years of hunt camp, having only joined them the last few years. Accessible only by jet boat their camp is strategically located in good game country, but still hard to hunt. Anyone with delusions of shooting game alongside the river is going to end up with an empty freezer. The elk in this area have been hunted hard for years and have adapted accordingly. They frequent the river flats at night, feeding heavily on peavine, then retreat to the river slopes during the day.
Also gone are the days of bull elk bugling recklessly throughout the day, allowing you to pinpoint their locations. These days elk are far more likely to come in to a hunters call silently, looking intently for another elk before making their presence known. If you’re lucky you’ll hear the crack of a broken branch as they sneak in, or… as more likely, get busted by your scent as they circle the location they heard your calls from. Two hunters can use this behaviour to their advantage by posting one of them downwind, sitting in ambush, while the other hunter calls. But that takes patience, which I’m kind of short of. I take a more aggressive approach to hunting elk usually.
When I hunt elk with someone for the first time they’re usually surprised by how much I call. I’ve been told several times that calling doesn’t work anymore and elk have gone silent, maybe so, for some. But personally I’ve had good luck over the years by using calling to my advantage. And if the number of animals I walk up on, and the distances I usually shoot from are any indicator there is still room for calling. Perhaps my latest hunt best demonstrates my approach.
We weren’t hunting from the Smoky camp opening week, as I was in the mountains chasing a nice 6x6 bull that managed to elude me and my son. So we hadn’t pre-scouted any of our hunting areas, but my hunting partners long history with the region allowed us to focus on those flats that usually hold elk. Our approach is to scout the shorelines for fresh tracks, then hike the river benches looking for fresh sign. No sign, no elk, simple as that. We’re not banking on a chance encounter with a wandering bull, we want to focus on where the cow / calf herds are living.
But before I barge into the bush on these scouts I like to give a bugle from the tree-line along the shore. Far enough in that the noise of the river doesn’t screen out any answers, but close enough that if an elk is in close proximity you have a chance to pinpoint its location. Rarely do you get an answer, but often enough to make it worth your while. I also believe that the bugle and any other subsequent calls I make while scouting give me some leeway making noise as I move about.
On this latest hunt I cow-called sporadically as I worked the flats, especially after snapping a branch, and walked up on several moose and deer. The technique doesn’t work if you’re hiking through the bush like a man, but by walking slowly and stopping frequently, you’ll convince other ungulates you’re just a cow elk wandering around. And if it’s a bull elk it’s often enough to have it squeal at you or come in to check you out. When I do call I like to be in an area with shooting visibility and will often hang around silently afterwards for 15 minutes. A technique that has resulted in several dead bulls.
One evening I worked my way along a favourite ridge line of Al’s, calling as we walked. We had heard several faint bugles from the flat below us but the bull had gone silent as we got closer. We knew from experience that the flat below was a jungle of blow down and rose thorns and would be a nightmare to stalk through and more importantly to pack an elk out of. The bulls used this to their advantage and often bedded there. We knew we could try and lure the bull out with cow calls but night was coming fast so we retreated.
That night around the campfire we formulated a plan for the next morning. I would return to the ridge line and call from on high. Bing would come up the middle of the flat along one of the few open game trails while Al would access the ridge line from upstream and work his way towards us. our hope was the bull would respond to me at a distance again allowing the guys to sneak in and perhaps ambush it.
And sure enough as soon as daylight peaked over the trees the bull responded to my calls. More than once the bull bugled from down in the jungle, but it was on the move, the calls constantly shifting position. Increasing the chances of crossing paths with my buddies, I though. After 45 minutes the bull quietened down so I worked my way toward its last position and entered an open poplar grove and setup beside a stand of trees.
After waiting a bit for the scene to quiet down I gave a series of cow calls followed up with one aggressive bugle, none of this squeaker bull stuff! Within minutes I heard the sound of something big headed my way, which turned out to be a cow elk, calf at her rear, running with her tongue hanging out. The cow and calf came to a screeching halt only 20 yards from me and scanned the clearing, looking I’m sure for the elk herd she had heard calling from there. I was in full camo including my face and the pair didn’t detect me as they ran into the clearing still looking.
I had no sooner thought to myself, “a bull had to be following that cow”, when I caught the flash of antler heading my way. Into the clearing bust a bull, in full-on rut glory, in pursuit of its latest love interest. The bull traced the exact same route as the cow and the calf, until it’s chest filled my crosshairs at 35 yards and its journey ended. Unaware of my presence the bull dropped right away while the cow and calf continued to circle the clearing even after my shot.
As I approached I could see it was a younger animal, even though a 6 x 6 bull, showing the great genetics of the area. Before long my buddies made their way to the shot and the work began. I’m not one of those guys who puts a branch in the mouth or says a prayer of thanks after the harvest. I respect that for those to whom it means something, but for me a simple thank you to the animal as I approach, and quick handling of the meat is the most respectful action I can take.
Before long the meat was boned out, with the exception of one hind quarter still packing proof of sex, and the kilometre long hike to the boat began. Seven loads later the elk was onboard and three happy and dog tired hunters headed back to camp. While the elk may have gone silent I can guarantee you the hunters around the campfire that night weren’t, as the day’s events were unfolded by each Nimrod, and another hunting story comes to life.
My kind of story Brian, adventure packed with good info. Elk are on my bucket list, they sound like a fun animal to hunt. Has anyone in your country ever talked about moose being call shy? I had some experiences the last couple years that makes me wonder if they might go quiet too.
I believe the golden days of calling are over to a large extent just because of number of hunters using the techniques. Most of us hunt where there is pressure from others. But even in areas where other hunters say elk have gone quiet I can still usually get responses. But I'm a bit obsessed with animal communications and think a good caller can set themselves apart from the crowd and increase your odds.
I'm still getting good moose vocalization here Yukon, from late sept to mid October. After that the bulls seem to come in a lot quieter. Late season I will hear a bull bonking his antler on a tree instead of grunting. To me the bull is announcing he's there but wants the moose he heard to show itself. A decoy of black building paper can help close the deal. I've walked right up to bulls and cows all year round by just grunting softly and rocking back and forth as I approach. You can almost see a look of shock when you get too close. One memorable day a calf of the year walked up within 10 yds, licking the inside of its nose to try and pick up my scent. It was January and the cow was standing off at 40 yds watching.
I've also walked up to whitetail in the bush by voise grunting and flicking my hand back and forth horizontally. We've all seen deer when they're calm and feeding and their tales go back and forth from side to side while they're content, and start lifting up when spooked.
developing these skills gives me even more admiration for traditional hunters who either learnt every thing they could about animal behaviour, or starved.
Wow nice deer! I too admire the traditional hunters and the skill they possessed. I was lucky enough to get to spend a lot of time with some old Cree hunters, as Im sure you did too. I think thats one reason I find myself having a harder time guiding non-resident hunters anymore. Things like tracking or still hunting through the bush is a lost art. Even most guides are lost in heavy bush country where knowledge of the animal, and its habits can make the difference. Nice to read a story like the one you posted and see there are still a few of us left that will use our legs and bush savvy.
Usually trapping by now but our snow all melted. Seasonal weather starting next week so chance to do some clean up. Found old pic from when I was 15 years old. Worked in the largest National Park in North America Wood Buffalo National Park. I was in conservation corp. 8 guys and 8 girls living in Tipis for two months. I learnt a lot that summer LOL. This was taken on the Slave River where a girl and I canoed from Peace Point to Ft Chip. A great memory
I know you're busy bushman, but how about a book? You have had such a wide variety of wilderness experiences its a shame not to share them. Our bookcase is filled with books written by bush rats all over the north, many of them haven't half the experience you do.
Great Story Brian. We had a bull moose come into our cow calls silent and VERY quite this fall. Not unusual for them to not make any calls but a mid 40's bull and he came in close with out a sound. Were leaving to take look aways away and he was about 40 yards from us just looking at us in thick cover. He got lucky too!
I know you're busy bushman, but how about a book? You have had such a wide variety of wilderness experiences its a shame not to share them. Our bookcase is filled with books written by bush rats all over the north, many of them haven't half the experience you do.
Yukon, you have a list of those? I've read a few, always enjoy reading different peoples experiences. It's one of the reasons I lurk quite a bit here.
I know an editor pushing you for a book too Yukon!
I find moose can be even more cautious then an elk. Perhaps as an herd animal elk are bit less wary.
That summer I spent in Wood Buffalo Park at 15 were pretty formative for me. I was already living in the NWT so the bush wasn't a new factor, but that summer helped instil conservation values and self reliance in me. As part of the training we were choppered out to a remote nameless lake and left alone for four days. We were allowed a tarp, black garbage bag, cordage, paper and pencil ( for journal ), and not much else. No fire making equipment. They spotted us around the lake, each kid about 1.5 miles apart, and we weren't allowed to leave our own site. There was a designated spot at the back of each drop site where you could leave apiece of flagging if you needed to get out.
Out of 16 kids I believe 12 made it the whole 4 days. Two of them were hassled by a black bear and two just couldn't handle being alone. As I remember it the two who cracked were boys not girls. I never did get a fire going but enjoyed running around trying to snare rabbits and kill chickens with rocks. Got one chicken only but couldn't get a fire going! The first night I got scared big time as I could hear a large animal walking in the water back and forth during the night. When it happened again the next night I figured out it was actually fish feeding in the bay. I had visions of a monster bear as holed up in my plastic fortress.
Me too Brian. But I like to share the experience with more than one. Some times two at a time. ;0) My oldest daughter back in the day. Tipi Fun! Here first successful moose hunt in the tipi.
My middle daughter and youngest.
Last years winter moose hunt with my 12 year old. What fun times.
"I believe the golden days of calling are over to a large extent just because of number of hunters using the techniques. Most of us hunt where there is pressure from others." - Bushman
Agreed, I believe its over here as well. I run get into way more elk when I just glass and then spot and stalk, than when I try to call. I'm always running into guys that say stuff like, "there's no elk in this drainage, I called all morning and didn't see one elk." I just wish them better luck next time and go on my way...I don't bother mentioning that I just spent the same morning sitting at a good glassing point watching a number of elk in that very same drainage move out of there.
That's a heck of a mule buck for sure...not many around like that any more either.
Bob - my buddy just sent me a pic of an even bigger mule his son just dropped.
Thanks Pete
Len you turned me on to the Kifaru. So far thats been a $3,000 touch as I've bought three. Great tents. You've actually introduced us to many cool products so thanks.
So today's a big day for Canada!
Let me introduce you to:
Our new National Bird of Canada, the Grey Jay, or as we prefer the Whiskey Jack. I believe the loon, Canada Goose, and Snowy owl were all in the running but the jay was announced as the winner last night. Apparently they are one of the most intelligent birds on the planet. How fitting for a Canadian, just saying.
I know you're busy bushman, but how about a book? You have had such a wide variety of wilderness experiences its a shame not to share them. Our bookcase is filled with books written by bush rats all over the north, many of them haven't half the experience you do.
Yukon, you have a list of those? I've read a few, always enjoy reading different peoples experiences. It's one of the reasons I lurk quite a bit here.
"On The Edge of Nowhere" by Carl Huntington , "Shadows on the Koyuk" by Sidney Huntington are two of my favourites, Alaskas Wolf Man by Jim Reardon , a bunch by Ian and Sally Wilson are good paces to start!
Yea I knew you could make it up actually. Lol. Where exactly would you buy moose urine? Anyways back to reality. Here's a slice of real nature. Friends came upon this
What really sucks Dave is one buck won the battle but lost the war. I'm on my way out tomorrow with my dad and son and grandson. Four generations hunting together
Sure looks like it was a real battle! I envy you Brian. Your son & grandson will remember those trips for the rest of their lives......money can't buy that. Looks like Im going to get a grandchild after all.....not due until March. Hope I can hang in there long enough to get the little bambino out on the land!
Well Brian Garrity is the first of my children to have tied the knot in September. So looks like there could be the start of another generation in sight in the next few years. ;0) Maybe I will be fortunate enough to share a campfire at hunting camp with at least three generations before I get too old. Your very fortunate to be so blessed with such wonderful family ties.
I got a quick start when my son made me a grandfather at 39! That girl turns 19 next week. Grandkids are the pay off for raising your kids. Len we go so far back ( Alaska trapping forum) that Garrity was a little guy when we first met via the forum. Your handle said it all then, and now. Now Yukon is probably thinking how he can put that grandkid to work in the operation. The deer rut is in full swing so hoping Dad can get a deer. My buddies are knocking down some nice bucks this week
I'm going to have to get a copy of 'On the Edge of Nowhere.' Sounds like some perfect reading for over holidays... I just finished reading 'North to Slave Lake,' by Stan Morton (about his father Ted), I thought that was an interesting read of the Slave Lake area.
It's that time of year again where crossing rivers as they freeze up is always a PITA. The machines freeze up over night unless you thaw them out.
My buddies came out to hunt but they set up their tent on the right side of the creek so that they didn't have to cross over. Of course I did sleep in a nice comfy cabin while they stoked their tent stove
So what do you do when your son advises you not to try hauling the roofing down the icy hill? I obviously didn't listen to him, but I survived. And check out my cool trailer extension. I strapped my quad rack onto the back of the trailer to support the 12' tin. Seemed like a great idea.
I took some time to check out the high country. The rams are starting to join the herd as breeding season is around the corner. Lots of sniffing and lip curling going on as the rams wait for the party.
Bush books are the best for sure. Here's a few i have on the go
The Forgotten Explorer - Samuel Prescott fay's 1914 expedition to the Northern Rockies - A cool book for me because he rode through my trapline and describes country that I use today. It was one tough horseback trek from Jasper Alberta to Hudson Hope BC across the divide. Running across major river valley's instead of with them.
Pike's Portage - Stories of a distinguished place. Again a bit of a connection for me as it is a story of a famous trail network in my homeland NWT. The portage is the connection from the east arm of Great Slave lake to the Barrenland. Used by First nations for 1000's of years and white fox trappers in the last century.
Epic Wanderer - The story of David Thompson who mapped much of western Canada before Lewis & Clark. An amazing man who also loved his family and refused to leave his aboriginal wife behind when he returned to Montreal.
Peter Pond - Fur trader & Adventurer. An obscure book by H.A. Innes. Another epic traveller and bushman.
Love the bush ingenuity that went into thinking up that trailer! Just finished up a book you might find interesting Brian...."Horseshoe in My Hip Pocket" by Bob Kjoes.....he grew up in your country. Him and his dad ran wild horses and packed all through that country long before the Trunk Rd went in. He eventually moved north and owned Toad River lodge for awhile...hes still alive and living in Ft St John.
Another great book if you can find it is "Campbell of the Yukon"....he worked for the Hudson Bay Co and as far as anyone knows was among the first white men up here. I had a copy, loaned it out and never got it back.
"So what do you do when your son advises you not to try hauling the roofing down the icy hill? I obviously didn't listen to him, but I survived."
In some ways, it's really neat when your kids show wisdom that you've been trying to impart to them for years...on the other hand; don't ya hate it when they're right and you end up eating crow! LOL!
I think I know exactly how you felt!
(I killed a good sized whitetail this past weekend and while getting him out of the river bottom and loaded up to haul home my oldest suggested a method that I taught him...of course me being in a hurry and just wanting to get it done was going to 'try the quick and easy' way...)
Thanks for the additional book suggestions - I will add those to my list.
Yes - I was about 35 , if I recall correctly. Now recalling anything correctly is as about as easy as cutting and splitting firewood.
But - it is Thanksgiving, so we need to recall all the things we are thankful for. For many of us, living in Alaska is one of the numerous things we are thankful for.
I see you have been to Princess Auto Brian. We have the same one, 25 ton ram, Honda motor. Sure takes the work out of splitting wood. Besides splitting wood we split a few boxes of cedar kindling in about an hour. Do you have the attachment for splitting the quartering the block?
Finally a real winter. We've had a good month of cold weather and a bit of snow. i've been hauling in material to the lodge, 160 lineal feet of metal roofing, I'm going to do a couple of my cabin roof's this winter. I've got a few lynx snares out and 25 wolf snares around a moose kill. Not in a panic to set traps as I'm going hard after christmas
Merry Christmas Brian, good luck and be safe this season. Getting my Apple figured out and will post some pics from the line this week. Finally got out on the line. We got some snow in town but pretty tough running out at the cabin. Love your pics and the ride a long.
My wife is out with me so I put her to work cutting new trail. Smartest thing I did was marry a farm girl, they're good workers. And she's a great companion who also loves the bush life.
I had open water running underneath my sled, which is sitting on a three foot thick piece of ice. That whole section of river ice dropped out from under me in a split second. I think I was on shore by the time the sled hit bottom, I baled pretty quick.
I wasn't supposed to have gone this far upriver and my wife was alone at the cabin a few hours away so I knew it was a one man rescue operation. I did have sat phone and emergency gear though so i wasn't flying blind. if my wife wasn't waiting in a cabin I could have taken my time and camped out if needed. But I had my "mule" come-along under the seat of my sled. It only has 20 ' of cable and I was farther that that from shore. I was short about 25'. I didn't have any rope with me but had a 2' piece of # 9 wire and the 3' piece of rope found in your skidoo tool kit.
I dropped a 35' pine tree and knocked the branches off. I wired the one end of the tree truck to my left ski using the number 9 wire. I hooked my come along onto the base of an anchor tree on shore and then ran the winch line out to the closest end of the tree trunk. I put the hook around the trunk but it snapped the trunk as soon as it was under pressure. I took the 3' piece of rope and doubled it up and made a loop that hooked around the tree and the hook on the winch line. It worked slick after that and I was out in under an hour. Had to chop a bit of ice to get snowmobile turned around so it came out front first. All in all not too bad but it could have been a lot worse.
I'm a bit of an idiot as I have an "expedition" dry bag stuffed full of everything I need for situations like this, but I left in camp as I was supposed to only be running an established line that is on land. I would call someone else stupid for taking these chances but its been a way of life.
There seems to be a lot of lynx and hare this year. but they're travelling in family groups and have no problem eating each other when caught in snares. I'm checking a bit more often and have switched over to footholds in lynx hotspots which is working for me. The foothold in the picture if getting set in hopes the lynx will be back for seconds. I will know soon.
Caught a pretty little cross fox that was stealing grouse wings from my lynx sets.
My phone/ camera crapped out while out there so not as many pics as usual. I just picked up a new I phone 7 plus and the camera is outstanding on it. Heading back out tomorrow.
There seems to be a lot of lynx and hare this year. but they're travelling in family groups and have no problem eating each other when caught in snares. I'm checking a bit more often and have switched over to footholds in lynx hotspots which is working for me. The foothold in the picture if getting set in hopes the lynx will be back for seconds. I will know soon.
Caught a pretty little cross fox that was stealing grouse wings from my lynx sets.
My phone/ camera crapped out while out there so not as many pics as usual. I just picked up a new I phone 7 plus and the camera is outstanding on it. Heading back out tomorrow.
Man I hate it when that happens!! Out of 31 lynx I only had 2 eaten this year one by wolves and one by coyotes.
Did a real nice job on the Skandic, them little winches are life savers. I have the same plan as you, when i don't have enough reach i can throw in a tree, some wire and make it work. hate it when lynxs turn out like that. Set with the red bag has me curious, any pics of the set before hand.
It's been a strange season. Nice cold weather early on, then back to a cycle of chinooks. I've lost a lot of snow and have to deal with glare ice and rocks everywhere. beats the snot out of you day after day
Always good to start your day out with a big breakfast
My marten numbers are up a bit, but still less than what I catch in the foothills. But these mountain martens are nice and dark
Also had a family of otters make their way up river for over 10 miles. Usually see their sign once a winter. I believe they make their way from the main stream river and come up and cherry pick the pools for wintering fish.
Where'd you get that submarine-looking dog hauler? Build it? He seems to ride in it pretty well. Mine prefers to ride on the seat when I'll let him, and he's pretty good at staying on too!
Great pics Brian. Is that a black wolf in the first picture? Does your Argo tend to freeze up with all the open water crossings. I know who my sleds build up ice when in the overflow and open water. That is some awesome country you are in up there. I like your open water set for the wolves. Good luck and be safe.
I modified an existing toboggan to haul my dog. Bought the toboggan off a trapper who lurks on here... hi Rick. It was expensive as I had to buy him and his wife supper in Rekavik Iceland for it. That place is expensive ! No wolf there yet AK butI have your #9 all out and set . I also have approx 60 wolf snares out in 3 different bait setups and on trails. Wolves are spooked they know I'm after them . Problem with chasing same packs year after year is they get to know you. I move bait sets and change it up on footholds but they still make me work. I've been focusing more on other species but after Feb 14th it will be wolves only so we'll see how that works out. The Argo doesn't freeze up from crossing back and forth over open water but I make sure I run it through snow before parking for the night. I've had to thaw more than one sled track out though under same conditions. Headingback out Monday
I always enjoy you pictures and stories Brian. How do you hold the bait in your green vertical marten boxes? I bought a few this year to try and really like them it just that I place mine horizontal.
The bait is inside red mesh bags. I just a tag end up through the holes until snug. Most martens teeth get caught up in the mesh. One bait lasts all winter usually.
Picked up another pretty x-fox.
Stuck his head into a cubby baited with a rabbit. 330 caught it across the forehead
Looks like you're having a good winter as usual Brian. I think your country is incredibly scenic. Do you have any trouble with traps falling out of those green plastic boxes ? I bought some this year and have noticed that traps will sometimes fall out.....it only happens with some, and seems to happen when the temperature changes quickly. Wonder if there is a cure as I really like the boxes.
Dave I agree traps can slide out on vertical boxes. New boxes have pre-drilled holes in the corners of the boxes. You can make pins from #9 wire or cut up clothes hangers to slide into the holes after you place trap in box. The springs rest against the trap springs and can't fall out. Downside is marten stays inside box when trap fires instead of swinging free but that's usually no big deal. Other way of course is to bend supple spruce bough or willow over top of box and thread thru spring eyes putting tension on. When trap fires the bough falls out and trap swings free
“Clear and fine this morning, with a promise of a fine warm day. Today we hope to arrive in the sheep country; only a four-hour ride. Our present camp is right at the outlet of Femme Creek, into Sheep Creek, and there is a very strong sulphur spring just below us that empties a large volume of yellowish white water that stains Sheep Creek for over a mile. It smells strong enough so that it is rather disagreeable here in camp.” L.S Chadwick journal, September 1935
A chill ran up my spine as I read the words quoted above. Here I was sitting inside my warm cabin, having just returned from a cold day of trapping along the banks of the very creek Chadwick referred to. I continued to read on, and found myself drawn into a hunting tale nearly three quarters of a century old.
“We were packed up and on the trail by 9:30, going up the Femme Creek. We found that a summer flood had torn out most of the trail and had filled the entire gorge with flood timber, and hundreds of tons of soft coal that had washed down from the cut banks. We traveled up to about 2 p.m., over a horrible trail, or rather, country without a trail; probably went about 10 miles to the summit of Femme Creek. We are now camped at the summit, in a nice place, well-shielded by spruce and balsams. The nicest camp site we have had so far, up about 7000 feet and with a snow drift at our back door.”
As I sat back in my chair the warmth from the wood stove made me sleepy and my mind started drifting. I thought to myself that while the name Chadwick by itself does not bring much recognition, just add the word ram and watch a hunter’s eyes light up. L.S. Chadwick had the distinction, way back in 1937, of harvesting one of North America’s finest trophies. Many consider the Chadwick Stone Sheep Ram, with over 60” of horn, to be the Holy Grail of sheep hunting.
While I knew that the Chadwick Ram had been harvested just over the B.C / Alberta border not far from where I sat, it came as a complete surprise to me to discover that L.S had also hunted extensively in the northern Alberta Rockies that I call home. It not for a series of fortuitous events I would never have come into possession of a copy of the hunting journals that Chadwick had written of his Alberta adventures.
I had become involved with a couple of conservation groups and it was during a fund-raising banquet that I found myself working alongside a feisty 84 year old lady by the name of Ishabel Cochrane. I knew that Ishabel, and her family the Hargreaves, had outfitted in the Willmore Park from the 1930’s on. In fact one of her uncles, George Hargreaves, was buried up in the high country on my trap line. He had passed away on a hunting expedition and in those days there was no way to bring a body out. I also knew that Ishabel’s father, Roy Hargreaves, had guided L.S. Chadwick when he took his famous ram.
While working the banquet Ishabel handed me a copy of two sets of L.S Chadwicks hunting journals, along with some original photos of the Chadwick ram. She wanted them placed into public domain so that the stories would not be lost. And that’s how I came to be reading the Chadwick journal later that winter.
“After we got located I took a short scouting trip and saw 9 sheep, a dozen caribou and lots of goats. One ram came down to within 200 yards of camp and I took pictures of him. This is wonderful country for game feed, and we should be able to get some good pictures and perhaps a good head or two. We had to kill several porcupines last evening, to keep them from eating up our kits, saddles, etc. We were up at 6:00 a.m., late for us, but the weather was not at all promising. After breakfast we started out for the top of a high mountain overlooking Femme Creek. We saw 40 or 50 sheep, mostly ewes and lambs, and a few small rams, but no good ones. The day finally wound up with a heavy thunderstorm, with rain, snow and sleet, together with the prospects for another bad day tomorrow.” L.S. Chadwick
Mountains and bad weather go together. Ironically some friends and I had just packed in a sheep camp to the very same range that L.S had hunted in 1935. We had made our way on horseback deep into the wilderness, following an old hunting trail with 100-year old blazes marking the way. While the trail may have a long history, it hadn’t seen much use in recent years, and our trek was a tough one.
But when we reached our hard-won-destination we were rewarded with the prettiest camp I’ve ever set up in. One one-side a mountain stream raced downhill towards its eventual union with the Smoky River, while on the other a spring-fed-lake lay surrounded by a lush alpine meadow. Our first day in camp the weather was stellar, and we couldn’t wait to hit the high country. Once we started climbing it didn’t take long to get into sheep. As we crouched inside a field of jagged rock we watched as a band of rams made their way towards us.
It was soon evident that the rams were all youngsters and we settled back to see how they would react to us. Closer and closer they came until finally they stopped at 20 yards and peered at us over the edge of a sheer rock face. I looked upward at the nine heads silhouetted against the blue sky and thought about how lucky I was to be alive, at that moment, in that place.
The next day however was a different story. I awoke to the sound of a torrential down pour slamming up against our tent. Soon a stream of water made its way across the dirt floor and I was glad that we, and our gear, were high and dry on top of a tarp. We spent the next three days waiting for a break in the weather, but to no avail.
We had one moment of false hope when the skies cleared up in the late afternoon of day two. We all traipsed out into the meadow and started glassing the slopes around us. Sure enough sheep came into view running across the ridges and feeding on the grassy plateaus. At this point all of our horses went on high alert, and we discovered a jet-black grizzly bear feeding on the upper ridge behind our camp. Although he was over 900 yards away the horses were locked onto him like radar. As watched the grizzly through our binoculars the fog and rain drifted back in and he and the sheep were soon hid from view. As I remember it no one went out into the pitch black darkness that night to relieve themselves!
The next morning we woke to more rain and sleet with no end in sight. A group decision was made to pull out before the rain raised the levels of the many watercourses we had to cross on our way home. As I pulled out of the meadow I vowed to return the following year and further explore what looked like excellent sheep country. Now as I sat with Chadwick’s journal in my hands my determination to return to the ranges he had hunted was intensified.
“Three fine days and a beautiful, clear morning, with a promise of a fine day. Roy and I started to hunt on foot as we only had 1½ miles to go before we were out of the timber. It was a hard slippery climb, but we were on top before 10:00 a.m. Right at the top and at the very topmost rocks, we came across five rams almost perfectly blended into the rocks. I could only see two of them, but it so happened that I could see the big one. I tried to shoot him at 150 yards but I overshot him. An easy shot and a perfect steady hold, but a trifle too high. He rushed out of sight, then turned back, and in a moment’s time his head and shoulders came in full view at the top of the mountain.
Here I was able to get a good steady bead on him at about 250 yards and he went down like a plummet, in spite of the fact he was a mighty small mark to shoot at. He was a fine, big nine-year-old ram, with only a 34 “ horn with 15 ½ “ bases; a big disappointment to me as I thought that he would go at least 38”, but the curl was too small. I shall have one more chance and hope to get a big head with at least a 38” yet. “ L.S. Chadwick
As promised to myself I did return to that sheep camp the following year, but now I had a problem. My muscles ached but I didn’t dare stir. One of the rams was locked onto my position waiting for me to move. The ram dropped his head pretending to feed, but then quickly jerked his head up, hoping to catch me making a mistake.
I had started the morning off glassing a small band of ewes and lambs just above camp. After a brief interval watching the lambs frolic I had continued climbing higher and higher until finally cresting the ridge line, before me lay a beautiful alpine bowl. It looked like ideal sheep habitat with water, grass, and escape terrain, all within easy reach. I side- hilled my way to the top of the bowl and started glassing, being careful to conceal myself from any observant sheep.
I soon spotted a bedded sheep, and as common with sheep hunting once one is spotted other sheep start popping out. In total I could see four rams, three were bedded and one was up feeding. Through my spotting scope it appeared that two of the rams were legal. My biggest problem was the lack of cover. The rams were across the bowl from me at the base of some steep cliffs. There was no terrain to conceal a stalk.
After evaluating the situation for a while I decided my only option was to slowly work my way around the top of the bowl eventually circling towards the rams. I scooted on my butt downslope so that my silhouette wouldn’t be outlined on the ridge top. I only moved when the rams were not looking my way.
It took over five hours for me to work my way along the bowl. During that period the rams mostly remained bedded. At times, they lay flat with their horns resting on the ground. Every so often one or two of them would rise for a short interval and graze on the short grasses. The two youngest rams had a short sparring session and I could hear the banging of their horns echoing across the basin.
As early evening fell I was getting within shooting range. The rams had risen and were slowly feeding in my direction. Every once in a while, one of the rams would peer in my direction trying to figure out what that strange lump on the hill was. I felt that as long as I waited them out, and didn’t move, they would stay calm. Eventually the rams fed behind a small knoll and I was concealed from their sight.
I quickly made my way to a small drainage ditch that had been my original goal. When I crossed it I figured I would be only about 40 yards from the sheep. I climbed the short bank of the ditch and lay down prone on the top. I found a flat rock to rest my rifle on and felt like I was shooting off a bench rest. As I waited I could see the horns of one of the rams enter my field of vision. It was almost time.
The kill was almost anti-climatic. The sheep fed their way onto a grassy plateau that turned out to be 35 paces from my position. The largest ram stood broadside in my scope and I slowly squeezed the trigger. The whack of a solid hit bounced of the rock walls and the ram staggered. He walked a few paces and bedded down, the other three rams huddled around him. The ram rose but was screened by his bachelor buddies. He took a few steps into the clear and I followed up with a second shot. The shot tipped the ram over and he slid down the slope and lay still.
As I made my way over to the ram his companions stood by his side, and then slowly moved off 75 yards. They remained there while I admired the sheep and gave thanks to be able to live, and hunt, in such glorious country. As it turned out my ram was pretty much the same size as L.S Chadwick’s sheep 75 years ago. Unlike him however I was satisfied with this ram and the way he was taken. Evening was fast approaching as I made my way back to my tent camp, and my patient wife who awaited me. I’d be leaving these mountains a happy man.
By the way L.S Chadwick also left happy. In those days a hunter could take more then one sheep so I leave you with these words.
“They say that all things come to him who waits; and we sure had a long, hard 40 day wait to get a real big ram. I came up here in the hopes of getting a forty-inch ram and I filled the contract this forenoon by getting a big one with 40-1/4” curl and 16-3/4” base with a 20-3/4” spread and a mighty fine head on a ram that would have weighed over 350 lbs. He sure made our hearts glad, as forty-inch rams are hard to find. We have seen at least 250 rams before this fellow. We had a fine pleasant trip – everyone is happy!” L.S Chadwick 1935
And while these days a hunter must wait a couple years to take another Ram I was fortunate enough to keep my pursuit of L.S. Chadwick alive, and take a full curl ram in the years ahead. That ram requiring me to roll across an alpine slope with my gun clutched to my chest, hidden by a clump of dense shrubs. Only to rise up, and surprise a band of 11 rams standing on the other side of the concealing shrubs, giving me a rifle shot at a bow shot range.
Great write up Brian, makes me want to head out there. Some nice heavy looking rams in those pictures! You get to hunt in some of Canada's most beautiful and rugged country, I'm jealous.
Great postings as usual Brian. Always enjoy coming to catch up on your pages.
I have a question. I see on Nube's thread that you treat your outhouse with lye crystals and lime. Where do you buy the lye crystals? At one time we used "hot lime" in the outhouses but the only lime we can get anymore is just the type that is used on lawns or gardens. Not the same product at all. The old lime used to break down the "poop and paper" as well as control the odor.
I appreciate the comments. Ron I bought the crystals at Peavy Mart. much the same results as the hot lime we both remember. Yukon 254 - still building inventory
Conditions on the trapline are crappy. Super warm weather burnt all the snow off the rocks and river ice. Spun a few 360's on the ice.
Our wolverine research project is still producing. A trapper from northern BC just returned a collar off a male he harvested. When the data was downloaded it showed the male had travelled from Northern Alberta over 200 miles straight line distance north into the NWT, before heading into North Eastern BC where it got caught. Impressive little walk about.
We also have a shot of another wolverine den from northern alberta. In this region snow depth is not a requirement for successful denning.
I appreciate the comments. Ron I bought the crystals at Peavy Mart. much the same results as the hot lime we both remember. Yukon 254 - still building inventory
Conditions on the trapline are crappy. Super warm weather burnt all the snow off the rocks and river ice. Spun a few 360's on the ice.
Our wolverine research project is still producing. A trapper from northern BC just returned a collar off a male he harvested. When the data was downloaded it showed the male had travelled from Northern Alberta over 200 miles straight line distance north into the NWT, before heading into North Eastern BC where it got caught. Impressive little walk about.
We also have a shot of another wolverine den from northern alberta. In this region snow depth is not a requirement for successful denning.
Cool wolverine pic!! I caught that wolverine the season after i got his pics.
Great read Brian. Looks like some rough weather you are dealing with this season. Spent a bit of time around Jasper chasing bighorns myself. I was amazed at how big they are compared to our Dall sheep over here. Those Bighorns are huge. Wasn't hunting just taking pics and enjoyed that without the cost of a nonresident or alien.
JR- You were only a couple hours from me and didn't call?
I've had a physical couple days. On my way to camp I ran into two young girls walking down the road. While it is incomprehensible to me, these two young girls decided they could drive two hors into the bush then go 10 miles up an unmaintained road into the mountains and go for a hike. Needless to say it didn't work out.
I had the girls start digging and we went to work getting it out. After two hours of work we had to concede we were screwed. As anyone who has ever been stuck on a snowy incline knows it's tough to get back up on the level. Gravity keeps pulling you deeper. Luckily i have a trapper friend who lived down by the highway and had heavy equipment. If you knew where I was located you would know what a fluke that is. My buddy came up with his loader and pulled the girls out.
That put me behind a few hours before I was able to get out to camp. But you know the bush code, you never leave someone stranded.
* sidebar story - I was a hellion as a kid up in the NWT and got in lots of trouble and had many a court appearance for crazy driving and drinking. I was three hours up a bush road and stopped at a small gas station and noticed the crown prosecutor who had gone after me in court over sitting in the corner. I asked the owner what was up, and he told me that buddy was stuck in the muskeg about 5 miles away and couldn't get his buddies out to help him.
I walked over and told him " I don't like you and feeling is mutual so get in my truck and keep your mouth shut and lets go and get your truck out. I pulled him out and told him to save his thanks, I was following the code of the bush, not helping him out. So Dave McDonald if you're still out there, you're still not my buddy LOL.
Next day I got up and headed upriver to put in some footholds. After getting five sets in I went to leave and my snowmobile refused to start. I had to walk back to camp and figure put how to get back to my truck. I fired up my 15 year old 300 honda quad, kicked it over and started on third kick ( these machines are bullet proof and a great buy ) and drove it 10 miles on top of frozen snow. The biggest issue was getting Nikki to ride on the quad. I decided to sandwich her between her doggy bed and strap her in. I was impressed with how docile she was as she allowed me to snug her down with ratchet straps.
When I showed my buddies how great my dog was they were amazed by the photo and asked how I got her on the rack. i explained that I lifted her on so they asked how heavy Nikki was? I said I know exactly how heavy she was as I had just weighed her today
Obviously i caught a wolf that looks like my dog Nikki. very pretty, bit of icy blue to its coat. I stopped at my buddies to ship my fur to NAFA today and he commented on how pretty it was, he's skinned 40 wolves this winter so his opinion matters to me. The wolf was 86 pounds, a female. He weighs every wolf he custom skins and after several hundred skinned the heaviest he weighed was 139 pounds, a freak, most heavy ones in high 120's. Average female 85 pounds, average male 105 pounds. The wolves he skins are from Northern Alberta to Arctic coast so some of biggest in the the world.
I also took a shot of several wolverine showing the difference in the diamonds on their backs. By the way anyone refer to the diamond as a crown?
Why didn't you pull the girls out the same way they went in? Looks like that might have avoided the incline. That said, after months in the bush, a couple of hours watching girls shovel snow......well.
Keeping busy as usual I see Brian. Really nice light coloured wolf! Does your friend that skins all the wolves do custom skinning?? Just curious how he gets wolves from such a wide area? Nice bunch of wolverines!
Yes Dave he does a lot of custom skinning. NAFA brought him down to Montreal a decade ago to meet furriers and auction house to learn what market wants. He does all their high dollar Arctic wolves which they buy round. He taught me how to skin wolves for taxi market and I learnt a lot off him. I had a camera man film him for two days and I should edit a wolf handling tutorial ...in my spare time
I Sure do appreciate a woman with a sense of adventure but what on earth were those two gals smoking to make them try something that crazy? Very pretty wolf.
Winter showed up again in the mountains. I got a couple of feet of fresh snow plus some cold weather freezing up the creeks tight. I used this opportunity to move building material into camp. I scored enough tin to redo two cabin roofs but its a lot of work getting it in. Still loving my Alaskan sleds.
I'm leaving today for round two. This time I'm hauling wall panelling for my upriver cabin which adds several hours to the trip. Should be an interesting expedition. I'm having problems with my 600 widetrack. Ground connection from frame to battery has crappy connection even after mechanic had a go at it. Keeps you on your toes every time you turn it off.
Lot of fun reading your journal, looking at the photos, yours and others'. PA trapping ended a month ago, and though we are making maple syrup, I still look at every piece of ground through the eyes of a trapper. Miss it already. Have yet to watch your gulo documentary. It's on my list.
The wolverine documentary " Ghosts of the Northern Forest" is not yet available in the US. But it'll end up there I'm sure this year. We have an international distributor and we just finished up the international version which is 6 minutes longer. I'd like to see it show up on PBS "Nature"
We got another blast of winter and I've been going hard freighting material to my upriver cabin. Got a bunch of wall panelling hauled in and even got three walls covered. Making another trip in with molding's and trim and see what we can get done in what will probably be the last trip on ice this year. Might even haul in some kitchen cabinets.
Started out nice and clean
And finished up a few hours later with a bit of snow
I had a couple buddies help with the load. I grew up with these guys in the NWT and have known them for over 40 years
I made another trip upriver to work on my line cabin. I hauled in some trim and a modular kitchen setup I bought from Ikea. A special trip as my 11 year old grandson came along with my wife and I. Plus my buddy Gary came back to help out again.
The weather was all over the map. Sunny one minute then a snow storm would blast down the valley.
I basically have all my walls and trim done. Now I can finish off the ceiling which I will do in pine strips I've already hauled out. I'm also going to haul a roll of lino or vinyl plank flooring out. My helper powered out
Well spring is starting to show itself. We were pushing hard to get as much work done on the upriver cabin as possible before we lost all the snow and ice.
I'm pretty pleased as I got one of my ideas implemented in the cabin. My windows were high so I decided to build a raised platform for my kitchen table. Now I have an awesome view of several peaks while sitting at the table. I also have two single beds on rollers that slide underneath the raised platform, frees up lots of room.
The wife and I are heading out tomorrow for a while as I'm going to strap the roof of one of my lodge cabins and put a metal roof on it
I've just returned from another work bee. I had my wife drive my camp quad out as I had it at home all winter to push snow. I should have know better as she drives too fast. She had a front tire break through the crust and send her for a spin.
She got lucky as the toboggan she was hauling did a flip and clipped the side of her head as it landed. It could have been a disaster.
There's lots of humidity in the air and the valley's are full of mist in the mornings.
I thought these moose looked cool in the morning light. A good mother as both calves survived the winter. But April can be the toughest month for ungulates.
Ten years ago I had a troop of boyscouts stay at the lodge. they swapped me one days labor for a three day stay. I had them dig me a fair sized hole into a bank for the purpose of making an ice house. I never did build the ice house but before I left today I decided to dump a load of ice in the hole.
I just covered the ice in plywood until I get back. I'll put together some super insulated wall / roof panels and box the ice in and see how long I can get it to last. I've had ice houses before where I had multi year ice stored inside. free refrigeration.
Great pics Brian. Gotta love the spring sun for getting some work done around the cabins. Glad the wife didn't get hurt in her crash. I've always thought about an ice house at the cabin. Never got around to digging the hole but I don't spend much time out there in the summer anyway. That is one beautiful dog you have there. Have a great summer and I'll continue to stay tuned if you do as well. Like to see more with your boat too, very interested in one. Stay safe brother.
Glad your wife didn't get hurt. Nice pics as usual. Cabin roof came out good. Nice job. You and AKHowler have a great playground to enjoy. Very envious of both of you. Thanks for sharing.
I'm not going anywhere and the bush is still big part of my life all year round. I've got a few adventures planned already, many with the jet boat, JR. I'm heading up into Mackenzie Mountains with my buddy in early July. Always good to have two boats up in that country. I'm also going on a horse back trek into mountains in early august. Plus the usual action out at the Lodge.
As for spring I'll be waiting for the sharp-tails to start their mating rituals again and I'm taking some grand kids to look for a snake hibernation site along the smoky river. Always something to do
Wow, I'd go on most any adventure with ya Brian but I get a bit sissified when I get around snakes and spiders. I have to opt out of that one. Looks like a 5 gallon can of gasoline and a flare could solve that problem mighty quick though. Funny how someone can be strong enough or dumb enough (depending on how ya look at it) to hunt bears with a stick and string but will run over a woman or child to get away from a spider. That is me.... Have fun.
Now thats funny. haha. Oh man Brian those snake photos take me back to some college memories in Montana. Found a few rattlers outside the den. Not my favorite quest. Two incidents stand out in my mind. 1. Walking on some shale slabs near a den when a rattle started to shake under it. Oh my. Funny how moments stick with a guy. 2. Ran into my brother out on the roads in the spring. It was near a site where we harvested asparagus numerous times before. So when he approached me quickly with a cardboard box with reports of all the asparagus he had found while handing me off a cardboard box all tied up I didn't really suspect anything out of the ordinary at the moment. He happened to shake it pretty good about the time he placed it in my hands. Shake rattle and roll. Talk about a sick feeling you get when you realize your holding a box of rattling rattlers you didn't want!!!!!! Take care out there. Glad your wife is okay. Your living the dream!
Brian I would also pass on the snake thingy, however very kewl for those who like them. I also have a snake phobia. Rattlesnakes here in the Okanagan are my worse fear working on wildfires, more so than the fire itself for sure. My other phobia is heights, I'm fine long as I have one foot on the ground.
I guess everyone has their phobias for sure. And I'm thinking avoiding rattlesnakes makes good sense Len & Ron. No poisonous snakes up here but they have them in southern Alberta. But garter snakes are an amazing animal able to survive in the sub-arctic , party in the spring with a big orgy, and eat a lot of destructive rodents As a kid my mom found my stash of snakes under the bed in a shoe box and told me in no uncertain terms to dump them on my way to school. I didn't want to lose them so I put them in the closed mailbox until I could get home. It didn't end well when the mailman showed up. My mom still tells that story.
Ron I averaged $75 on my NAFA martens with a $147 high.
I just found me some $5 marten boxes at our local hardware store. They were mini compost buckets but I've made a few modifications and they work great.
I just got back from the lodge. I blasted out in spring conditions hoping to finish the roof on my cabin that I started on my last visit. I took my argo as I knew I'd be in conditions ranging from mud to deep snow, and I wasn't disappointed.
I had a good load on, 4 - 20 lb. bottles of propane, 1 - 100 lb. bottle propane, 4 deep cell batteries, construction supplies, and a malamute.
Everything was going good until I made it to the lodge... when I heard some clanging I knew wasn't right. I unloaded and pulled the floor boards up to have a look
The chain on the left side had packed it in. Two sections of chain had broke connecting pins, so I fished out the broken chains out and discovered it would still run, but would it make it back? Oh well I'd worry about that tomorrow I figured. I went to work on my roof.
The spring birds were all over the place.
The northern flickers revealed some breeding behaviour to me. A female inhabited the same nest hole she was in last year and a group of 3 males congregated around the entrance and were scrapping for her attention. Pretty noisy for a while. The males all dispersed and called to the female from different signalling trees. She must have made up her mind because all at once she took off flying towards one of the males. I'm sure she bred with her choice of male.
I put a long day in on my roof yesterday and worked on it until 3p.m today and got it wrapped up. I figure I have a total of 35 solo man hours on redoing the roof. I put new rafters and strapped it before placing metal on it so I figure that's not too bad. Plus the price was right, my buddy gave me the metal, and my labor is free. Speaking of metal this stuff is oilfield salvage and a very heavy gauge. Should outlast me.
The overhang makes the cabin look better. Now for fascia and eavestroughs.
I've mentioned before that a grizzly comes into my cabins in the spring when no one is around and digs up the same hole every year. Spilled fuel in that area seems to attract the bar during breeding season. I left a camera out last time I was there.
The bear spent 5 minutes rolling in the hole and splashing in the water inside it. I have a bunch of video.
A good bear as it never touches anything in camp. I put a couple extra cameras out this time.
I can't believe it but my argo made it 12 miles back to my truck with those two broken chains missing. Would have been a crappy walk in melting snow so I'm happy!
Dang the roof looks good Brian. Those argos sure have their place. I've heard they are high maintenance but sure can extend your travels in late spring and fall. Cannot get mad at a photogenic bear that isn't a nuisance. Put a few more bear precautions at my place last week and hung a couple more cameras.
Chimney penetrations through the roof are a pain in the butt. But I use crazy carpets as a gasket, cut a 10" hole in them and slide over the chimney then use fire caulking around the chimney pipe to seal the deal. They last for years.
Don't you hate it when you take your bear for a walk and some inconsiderate dude has his bear off-leash and it kills yours? Should be a law against it.
Could be a fork?? Roof looks good Brian. The crazy carpet idea is the best tip Ive learned in years. I have lots of tin roofs and the chimneys are always a pain.
I know know a fella who may have some 38-70 ammo he is tough to get caught up with but it's worth a shot. That's one very nice rifle I'll bet it's a good shooting rifle as well, just think of the stories it could tell. Buffalo Arms Co has loaded ammo for it at $85.00 per box . Allan
AV - For the last decade this bear has just came in while we are gone. I enjoy sharing the land with it under those conditions. But all it would take is one bad day and either of us could end up dead. Here's hoping that never happens.
Allan, great tip on getting ammo. Unfortunately doubt they ship to Canada but I will source out here in Canada.
I thought about that after I wrote it I found some from the 1880's but they want $800.00 a box of 20 the friend of mine is out of the state so that was a dead end. That is to nice of a rifle to not have shells for it . As for the bear that's some very interesting behavior from it that I would have bet against and lost. I'd take some plaster along on your next trip out and pour a form of one of its tracks for a center piece. Allan
I wish more bears were that respectful! That Winchester is a real prize Brian. A good friend has one of the better Winchester collections in Canada. Im sure yours would be very valuable.
Another great few days out at the lodge. My wife and I tidied up the place and are ready for guests. Usually the May long weekend around here is crap weather but not this time around +25 celsius / 77 degrees F.
My bear buddy came back again and actually Elite, I've never had one go into a cabin at this location.
I built this bridge a few years back and have never liked it. We don't use it in winter or late summer so I kind of just put up with it, but it really took a kicking this winter. For some reason my guests don't like using it?
I cut the 4 x 4's at home and drilled the ends. I cut the cables at home as well. The bridge took me 7 hours to pull the old panels off, tighten up the supports, and restring the new deck supports, and build handrail. But I was tired!
Spring seems to be the time of year I get things done around the house. I've been building some shelves for my display room to put some of my treasures on. I just finished this one. I used porcupine quills, antlers, bear claws, and some Amethyst I tumbled that I got from my trapper buddy Rick.
I'm a bit concerned about all my bridge infrastructures out at my lodge. I've been out of town for a few days and came back to water levels we haven't seen for a while. Historically the Smoky runs at 300 cubes a sec ( cubic meters) it got as high as 900 cubes yesterday. When I crossed the smoky on a highway bridge yesterday it was a force of nature in action. Huge trees piled up on bridge pilings with more coming down the river. The highway also got blocked by a mudslide so it's not looking good. As soon as it stops raining I'll head down and survey the damage. You never know I might get lucky.
I sent out the info on my guns 38-55 38-70 to a magazine here in Canada. They sent back the following information
According to the records I have your Marlin 1893 was made in 1899. The nice clear photo you sent shows the right side only, but assuming the other side is about the same it seems to be in good condition for a rifle nearly 120 years old. It is a model B with blued receiver. There were also models made with case colored receivers which are in a bit more demand with collectors. On the other hand your rifle is in .38-55 which should be worth more than the more common .30-30 and .32 Spl. chamberings.
Collector values seem to be in a state of uncertainty in recent months but I think your rifle would bring at least $1,000 at auction, possibly $1,500. Your message mentioned you still hunt with it, well done! Some day I'd like to form a "century club" of hunters who take game with firearms more than a century old.
The Winchester 1886 is very much in demand among collectors of vintage Winchester lever actions. It is considered one of John Browning's greatest designs, and that is saying a lot. Your rifle dates to 1895 manufacture. The .38-70 chambering is rare, only 830 model 1886 rifles are known to have been chambered for this cartridge. The octagonal barrel is another feature collectors consider desirable.
Model 1886s made before 1902 had a case-colored receiver which can bring a substantial premium. On this rifle it appears the colors are almost completely faded, and overall condition shows some surface rust. Nonetheless and considering the unusual chambering I'd expect it to bring $2,000 - $2,500 at a well publicized firearm auction.
"The search is on for a missing man who was travelling along the Smoky River near Grande Prairie with two others when their canoe capsized Saturday. RCMP officers responded to a call of a missing boater at around 6:50 p.m. near the River Stone Golf Course, northeast of Grande "
A sad story. I mentioned that the river was crazy high and some how a guy and two girls were out in a canoe that capsized. They grabbed a floating log and floated downstream for two hours. The two girls swam to shore but the guy didn't make it . I suspect they may have got trapped by the high water at a campsite and tried to get to dry land in canoe. I just can't see anyone choosing to canoe under those conditions. Water is not to be messed with.
I never had a use for canoes. I had one years ago, an 18' Coleman. Dumped me in the drink 20 feet from shore. Sold it the next day and bought a Zodiak!
The story behind this incident is a warning to all bush folks.
A client from my lodge called me today and told me he was the one who called in the rescue chopper. A 60 year old experienced white water guy decided to canoe down a tributary to the Smoky River and float to the hwy bridge and get out. He took two younger girls with him.
The first no no was they only had two life jackets, so the girls put them on, and the guy went without. As soon as they hit the water they were in trouble and tried to get to shore, but failed. The canoe hit the mainstream Smoky River and was immediately hit by a log floating downstream and they capsized. They grabbed onto a log and floated downstream clinging to it for hours.
The guy told the girls that they were approaching a campsite... and it was their last chance. He told them to swim for their lives and go get him some help. I guess the girls didn't want to go but he insisted it was now or never. The two girls made it to shore because of those life jackets, but had severe hypothermia.
My client didn't see the girls as they were swimming for their lives but he did see the guy floating by from his campsite. He made the call and the chopper arrived within 17 minutes which is incredible. Meanwhile two guys with more balls then brains jumped into their jet boat and tried to catch up to the guy. They went around a couple turns in the river and ran into a log jamb that was exploding with piled up logs, some of which were shooting 40' into the air when they hit the jamb. Needless to say they pulled a 180 and got back to the campsite dodging logs and debris the whole way.
It's easy to point fingers and say how could a guy be so stupid but I've done stupid things before and bottom line is a man paid the price for his mistake. But once again life jackets made the difference here. RIP canoe man.
I had a friend get thrown from his 20 ft boat while fishing a couple of weeks ago in some heavy wind. He is in good shape and a tough guy, but even he admits that if he didn't have his life vest on, the out come might not have been so good. He was surprised at how quickly he tired just trying to get back to his boat.
Sad story, water is definitely to be respected. Unless there is more to the story, I find it odd that an experienced white water paddler would head out with 3 people in one canoe and decide to tackle flood conditions in a raging river. Not a smart move, but like you said, we all make bad decisions at some point in time, this one happened to cost this man his life. RIP my friend.
I burned down to the lodge as soon as it stopped raining yesterday. I was hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. As I got closer I could see I was probably not going to be happy as signs of major water blow outs on every creek got worse and worse. By this I mean the creeks got higher as I got into the mountains and water was running through the trees in places it shouldn't. Keep in mind the water peaked on Saturday and I'm out Wed.
Road in was the worse I've seen in a decade. In fact I'm pulling full load trailer with quad and gear on back of truck and picking my way through a field of wash out ruts and running water when I come around corner and buddy has his 4 x 4 sideways in the ruts buried to the floor boards. I had just enough room to get by him at speed and yelled out the window as I went by " sucks to be you" Just joking. He was with two other trucks pulled over to side so he was good.
Here's some of the wash outs and water in goofy places we ran into yesterday
So I wasn't thinking positive thoughts as I walked down to my water crossings. First bridge was in place. This is the smallest channel but gets some good water. I had strung a cable across the channel years ago to catch any drifting logs, the roots stick up and snag. I had caught a floating aspen and part of it butted right up on bridge but the cable held.
My next bridge is the one I worked on a few weeks ago...and was so proud of
All I have to say is the mighty flood may have scored a TKO but it did not knock me out. My cables and decking are still in place, but the force of the water did rip my support poles on the other side out. Take note of my orange calf cart, still there. I had tied it up when I left last time.
As I suspected where once my cable car crossed the river, is now ....
I couldn't actually get out there across the middle channel so this is a long shot. The cables are on the right side tangled up in debris so I may salvage them. Not sure about the actual cart, might be in the arctic ocean by now.
My brother in law was with me and he asked me if I was upset. I started laughing and told him no. The cable car lasted at least five years and I'm getting better and better at bridge building!
I said lets make lemonade out of today's lemons and head up into the high country. So off we went
We headed up to visit my friend Steve from University of Lavalle, he's been studying mountain goats for over 25 years up here on Caw. We've seen a lot of cool things together up in this high country
Including watching the oldest goat on the ridge, 13 years old, a nanny, walk the ridge line straight up.
You can see the cabin they stay in over Steve's shoulder. It's guy wired to resist the 100+ mile an hour winds they get. I came up once in July and had to spend the night because of blizzard.
And if you're wondering what the weather was like up top during all the rain...
I took this picture on Caw Ridge standing on the northern border of my 350 square mile trapline. Every thing you see southward to the next line of mountains is on my trapline. What a privilege, what a gift!
In regards to your comments guys about the canoe incident the take away is those two girls lived because of luck and those life jackets. I've been the worst offender all my life but all you have to do is think about your kid or grand kid drowning and you'll convert real quick. I wear mine.
I do like construction so I guess I'll be busy. But the water is heading for the McKenzie River. And come to think of it so am I.
I'm heading to the North Nahanni River next week for a jet boat expedition with my buddy. Also doing the Root River up into the McKenzie Mountains and hopefully into little doctor lake. My wife is coming so I'm excited to show her this piece of paradise. Bringing a gold pan to pay for the trip.
So I can expect lots of logs coming down the Mackenzie next spring? Maybe a cart? I nearly had a job in Fort Res. too bad all your stuff would probably have gone right past and I could have salvaged it.
Muskrat my first serious girlfriend was from Ft. Res. Many pleasant memories of her but not that crazy town. You're probably too young to remember when Res had the highest murder rate in Canada for several years running. Anyways you're not getting my gear. I'll be on the Mckenzie River by this weekend keeping my eyes open!
I don't remember Fort Res being the murder capital but the 70s were crazy. I remember hiding by the stove because somebody got drunk and shot the Roman Catholic priest and a RCMP Officer. Aklavik was in the headlines for a while after that.
it's time to get excited. I'm packing up my gear for another trip up to my buddies territory in the NWT. I'll do a 750 mile trip one way before putting my boat into the McKenzie River. We'll head up river for a few hours and then head up the North Nahanni.
We hope to make it into Little Dr. Lake if the water is high enough.
If I remember correctly it took my dad and i less than 24 hours from providence to aklavik when he bought a boat from kingland. Throw a message in a bottle and maybe muskrat411 will find it. He will make a good YouTube video about it! Little Doctor lake looks like a great spot.
I've just returned from 3,000 km / 1800 mile trip by road and at least 500 miles by jet boat. Went way deeper into the McKenzie mountains then we had planned as I brought a lot of gas and water conditions were high.
The high water was a blessing and a curse. Much of the river we traveled on is shallow and braided with channels, sometimes a dozen or more. Read the wrong channel and you're high and dry on the gravel bars. Even my highly skilled local buddy made a wrong turn a time or two, and we had to wrestle boats off gravel bars. It's called the Root river due to all the big trees that float down from the high country and hang up on the flood plains.
When we finally turned around we were only 8 miles from the headquarters of Nahanni Outfitters and deep in Dall Sheep country. In one of our camps we glassed bands of ewes and lambs just across from us. Very easy sheep hunting compared to hunting Alberta bighorns from what i can see.
Our first day we camped at Engish Chief River after doing about 120 miles by boat. I just purchased a new firearm for bears and packed it along on the trip. We were pitching our tent and my wife heard a noise so I grabbed the gun. Sure enough a medium sized black bear peaked over the river bank and checked us out. It backed off when I gave it a tongue lashing but returned once again. I drove it off by yelling then let a round go right behind it's butt. Took off in high gear and never returned which was a good thing as three strikes you're out.
Next day we spent wrestling the boats off gravel bars and working our way to the real high country. When we made camp we set up on a narrow bench with barely room for two tents, but high and dry and out of the wind. The Root river was chocolate brown but a crystal clear mountain stream flowed into it. The river has formed into one channel as the mountains came right down to the river on each side. This is where we glassed Dall sheep.
Next day we continued up river using only one shallow draft workhorse boat that my new friend Bob owned. But I noticed he let my old buddy Floyd take the wheel for our trip as it was challenging to say the least. Our plan was to day trip out of the camp and hit some narrow tributaries flowing into the Root.
Our first stop was this magic canyon river with an incredible back story. If you look on a map you'll see the root river penetrates deep into the mountains and immediately north of it another system called the Redstone also goes deep into the big hills. Both are world class mountain caribou and dall sheep range. My buddy Floyd's uncle was a guide and wrangler for McKenzie Mountain outfitters years ago. One of his jobs was to trail horses from Wrigley on the McKenzie River up into the Redstone drainage. He told Floyd about a narrow little canyon river that ended with the water pouring out of the base of the mountain. His Uncle would cut right around the water pouring out and was able to make his way across from one range to the other with 20+ horses. You can really see on google earth the route he took. I have a ton of pictures and video and more to the story including a two days float down the river to rescue my boat. I'll get it posted tonight.
Looking forward to the pics. Went out to the new trapline today by 4 wheeler to check the trail to the cabin.Only was out there in winter.Trail is good with only a few bad muckholes,considering all the rain we have had.
Let me start by introducing one of the most knowledgable bushmen I know. And one of my best friends. I've known Floyd since we were in our late teens. We did a lot of partying and hunting together back in the day but always were aligned by our love of the bush. Lost contact for 35 years and reunited four years ago. Both of us have the hard partying out of our systems, but retired champions.
Floyd's story is one that probably cannot be repeated today. He was raised by grandparents in Wrigley, along the Mckenzie river. His grandfather was a man of power and respected by his community. He died at 97 in his own cabin in control of all his facilities being looked over by floyd. He taught Floyd everything he knows and I can't even begin to fathom the depth of knowledge that Floyd holds. When we see something unrolling before our eyes while in the bush he's so far ahead of me of knowing what's going on that it's humbling.
An example would be that we come around a corner of the river and a pair of geese are freaking out and hustling goslings into the tall grass...I think its our boat but Floyd says no, predator must be around. Around the next corner we spot an eagle in a tree, eating a gosling.
What a adventure I'm sure you had a great time even if you got caught on sand or gravel bars. A friend once said to always have a drift sock in the boat with a 100' rope to toss in to help get unstuck so to speak, do you think that would work there ? The walleye fishing looks like just catching them would be a highlight until you shared the scenic pictures. Thanks for sharing with us. Allan
It's definitely a pleasure and in some ways an honour to travel with Floyd, but don't tell him I said that.
We discussed many a strategy while levering those boats off shallow gravel bars. The "drag bag" idea came up and we agreed it might help but you'd need a quick release on it so you could collapse the bag or else get dragged down river. Also thought an air bag you could inflate under a grounded boat would work, or just hauling a good old jack. But in the end our heavy duty maple paddles worked as levers and we inserted poles under the boats as slides. Also key was putting the boat broadside in the current as the force of the water helped push the boat towards deeper water.
I broke down way back upriver. I had two spare fuel pumps but it ended up not being one of them. Boat would fire briefly then shut down. We had to tow the boat at high speed to get out of the shallow root river, took a day. Then had to float down the McKenzie river for one day to extract the boat at Wrigley. Luckily we were travelling in more than one boat and it all turned out but just goes to show you never know. The engine only has 60 hours on it.
The drift sock I have has a nylon strap that attaches to the point so when you want to retrieve it it's fairly easy to get back into the boat. My thought would be a second smaller diameter rope with a float tied on so when you wanted to bring it in the ropes wouldn't be all tangled up into a real big mess. They certainly slow down the boat while trolling in the lakes around here, I've not taken the boat over to the Missouri River Breaks to try it out. That's one heck of a bull buffalo also they are a fun animal to hunt. Allan
Greetings. i've just returned from the lodge and a work bee. As mentioned my bridges and cable cars were blown out in some record waters conditions a few weeks ago. My cable car and ramps got wiped out by a floating tree. The water level raised at least four feet which is incredible on a flood plane.
Another interesting thing is I had my cable car cables attached to two spruce trees on one side of the water, and to my rock crib and poles on the other. My cribbed poles bent over but hung on, even though the tree was snagged on their side, but the two spruce trees were ripped out by their roots.
I'm not saying my job is stronger then Mother Natures...but the facts speak for themselves.
I crossed the river in my argo and we drifted quite a ways in the fast current before grabbing some bottom. Made things interesting.
You could tell from the height of the grass that we hadn't been able to get in for a while. My brother in law cut grass for over 28 hours over three days to get it under control. Used an amazing made in the US trimmer that was a real beast. On three wheels and uses the heaviest whipper snip cable available. Great for knocking down thick wet grass.
Meanwhile I scouted out a location for my new cable car setup. The flood had changed the flow of water and I now had a spot where I could cross that would eliminate crossing one additional channel, so that was good. In fact the creek was narrower but deeper. I started cutting up logs to build the crib that would hold my cables on the lodge side. The argo hauled the timbers around like nothing.
On the other side of the river I had two large poplar trees i could hook my cables on. I decided to not place my support poles in an upward position. Instead I leaned them away from the river. My thoughts were I could then build an additional support, creating a triangle, which is very strong.
I built the crib then placed the uprights inside on an angle. It was a tough job getting them in by myself but I got them up on Argo rack then tipped them in. My brother-in-law broke his back 30 years ago and isn't even supposed to be walking so I avoid asking him to help.
Once the logs were in place I levered them under the base log for support and then nailed a couple cross pieces in to hold them the right distance apart. Then we filled the base in with rocks as high as bottom cross piece before nailing in multiple cross pieces on the rest of the way up. Once the base was full of rocks they bear down on the cross pieces supporting the uprights, rock solid ( forgive the pun)
The next day my son and son-in-law showed up to help and we dug out my cables, and cable car, and restrung the cables.
Then we hauled cable car to it's new destination.
And got things put together fairly easily.
The cables run over the the top of my supports and down to a huge poplar tree lying on the beach as an anchor. I ran the cables under the tree and back to the support cable where I clamped them off. This gives me a section of twinned support cable about 20' long. This is where I insert a dry section of tree branch about 3" diameter and 4' long and use it as a twister to tighten the cable. It's amazing how tight you can get the cables. Also allows minute adjustment so you can level each cable.
As I was wandering with some fishery biologist buddies who showed up while I was working we could smell a dead odour. we looked around and discovered a young cow elk all tangled up in the fresh log debris about 500 yards from our lodge. The cow had tried to cross the river and got swept up and drowned. My buddies told me you should put one of your trail cams up. I got busy building and didn't get there until yesterday with a camera.
Too late as the elk had been lifted out and was gone
But I knew who the culprit was
plus he had been on my side of the river while I was gone as well
Well this last trip was pretty uneventful. Although I did get hung up in my Argo twice crossing the river. It's still too high to cross with quads so I was using the Argo to float across. A couple times I hit a bigger rock and got stopped in the middle, but a little rocking got me off. It's an art I'm still learning, to gauge the speed of the water and access where you'll be able to get the argo out. But they do pretty good at crossing a brisk mountain river I'll tell you. Plus I didn't have to pack and unpack gear for a river crossing on the new cable cart.
Spotted two elk on my bush road coming in, still in velvet. one stuck around for a picture
And we also saw two lynx right along the highway, totally ignoring traffic and vehicles and they rubbed faces and vocalized with each other. i'd love to know the back-story on this encounter. Siblings? Dispersing juveniles? Breeding pair discussing old flings? Guess we'll never know.
I had three of my grandkids out with us as well. They sure keep us hopping. But talk about a work ethic. This bunch just loves to help out and pitch in, now some of my other grandkids are not as eager.
We had to rake up and burn all the waist high grass we swathed last week or it'll kill the lawns. Lots of working in maintaining a lodge but its a labor of love. I had families out there with a bunch of kids and it was a blast watching them play like we used to as kids. Sticks are guns and your imagination takes you anywhere. We have no cell service out there and it's going to stay that way.
"We had to rake up and burn all the waist high grass we swathed last week or it'll kill the lawns. Lots of working in maintaining a lodge but its a labor of love. I had families out there with a bunch of kids and it was a blast watching them play like we used to as kids. Sticks are guns and your imagination takes you anywhere. We have no cell service out there and it's going to stay that way."
Amen to that! And those times you spend with your grandkids will be what they remember way down the road. Looks like its been a good summer up your way!
Thanks for the ride a long Brian. That jet boat trip look like the trip of a lifetime. Did you ever figure out what was wrong with your boat? Always fun having a few boats on a big trip and it doesn't hurt to have someone as woodswise as you buddy Floyd leading the way through the unknown. Did your buddy's boats preform as good as or better than your's or is it more operators? Those canyons were amazing as was most of the scenery pics you posted. I sure like your cable car across the river. Those spring and high water floods sure can reek havoc on a lot of hard work.
AK - What a trip. Floyd has so many more hours in jet boats I'll never catch up, sand his skills show it. that's OK I do all right. Here's the canyon run, last part the best
I'm heading out this week to see if I can find a wolf killed ram some friends told me about. supposedly full curl, hopefully F&W will issue a permit if I find it.
We brought home an interesting rock from our trip to the McKenzie Mountains. To me it appears to be a vertebrata but what do I know? Any experts feel free to ID, or just guess. I will take it to the local dino museum and get a definitive answer at some point. Small hatchet for scale.
Beautiful few days in the mountains. We're getting a bit of smoke in the air from BC fires.
I took a closer look at my trashed bridge. There was only one anchor that held, and it held the whole works from being washed downstream
I had drove an iron pin into the ground about 3' and then stacked rocks and deadfall on top of it. It did its job. Too bad the rest of the supports failed.
This is the last roof that I need to replace. This is the 6th roof I've done over the last few years. We've got a new ridge beam built and levelled out and will install rafters later this week. Then the tin roof goes on and we've got another project finished.
Hunting season is just around the corner. Bow season starts Aug 25th & Rifle Sept 17. I'm wanting to try out a new elk camp this year so have been cruising in the boat for locations. Came across this pair yesterday
Had to put trip on hold. My 80 year old mother had to be medivaced to the city and I'm with her. We dodged a bullet but she's got a long recovery ahead from a stroke.
Looks like you're enjoying life to the fullest Brian, and its good to see. Hope your mother makes a speedy recovery, and you get to do that horse trip later. Have a good fall, Im off for my 32nd season guiding hunters in about a week.
Had to put trip on hold. My 80 year old mother had to be medivaced to the city and I'm with her. We dodged a bullet but she's got a long recovery ahead from a stroke.
Brian, praying for your mom and good on you for having your priorities right. My 82 yr old mom lost a short 3 month battle with cancer this spring. I spent all the time I could with her and my dad down in Oregon. My angelic wife spent the entire 3 months with them. Loosing my spring pretty much meant loosing my entire year playing catchup, including this years moose season, but my only regret is that I didn't spend more time with her. Enjoy every moment you get to spend with her!
Thanks guys. It's tough, she's been a good Mom. Slow progress but she's still here.
As always when things get tough I head for the bush, good place to heal. Especially if you're surrounded by family. Had most of my kids and grandkids out for our annual get together and it was a good time. Bow season opened this weekend and I've been getting in a lot of practice so I hope to get out next week, chase some elk.
I figured my crew needed a job so I started a new project.
Bighorn sheep season just opened and the mountains are full of hunters. i'm going to hold off hunting sheep until later in the season but I was giving a young fellow some assistance with plotting his route and suggested a couple spots. He's a friend of a friend and hiking in solo, which I respect. He kept in touch with me over the last week via a delorme in-reach and it sounds like he dropped a ram as he asked me how much I'd charge to pack it out.
He also told me he was charged by a grizzly about 2 miles from where my upriver trapping cabin is. Good chance it was one of the grizzlies i've caught on the trail cams up there. i don't have all the details yet but he obviously survived. I'm curious to find out what happened.
Another sheep hunter here in Alberta was not so lucky
"A man was reportedly mauled by a bear in a remote area near Sundre on Thursday morning, according to Alberta Fish and Wildlife.
The 32-year-old man from Calgary was in the Panther River area, west of Sundre, when he was attacked by a bear, a spokesperson told Global News.
The man told RCMP the bear came out of the woods while he was eating around 9 a.m. Thursday and grabbed him by the legs. He fought off further attacks and was able to hike back to his vehicle several kilometres away.
He then drove himself to the Mountain Aire Lodge around 4 p.m.
From there, the man was airlifted by a private helicopter to Sundre hospital, and later transported to another hospital in Calgary.
He’s being treated for non-life-threatening injuries to his head and face.
According to RCMP, there is no danger to the public because the attack happened in a remote location.
Fish and Wildlife are continuing to investigate the incident. The spokesperson did not have information on what kind of bear was involved in the attack."
oh yea... he got his ram. Beautiful full curl - 29 mile pack from kill site to truck so he earned it. No BS he shot it within 1/4 mile of where I suggested he hunt. He called me this morning so excited and pumped up, and appreciative. By the way he said it was a 500lb. + black bear that charged him to within 20 yds while he was going through a raspberry patch. Normally I'd say BS to a black that big but we've seen this bear before and its a monster. Glad to see his ram was the only thing killed.
I headed upriver and hauled in a bunch of gear with the boat for elk camp next week. 2 tents, tarps, kitchen gear, etc. As this is a new area for me I also wanted to do some scouting. I'm pretty happy with what I see
I followed a heavy game trail up to the ridge tops
It is with great sadness that the family of Margaret Estella Bildson bids her farewell...for now. Margaret left this world behind on Wednesday, September 13, 2017, surrounded by her family in an atmosphere of love.
No ordinary woman, Margaret had to fight from the day she entered the world on January 1, New Year’s Day, 1937. Although weighing in at under 3 pounds she survived, thanks to the tireless efforts of her beloved mother, and the warming oven on the wood stove that served as her incubator. Margaret grew into a beautiful self-confident woman. At the age of 17, she met the love of her life, Aubrey Bildson, at the skating rink, although she didn't know it at the time. Aubrey prevailed and their 63 year marriage survived the ups and downs of life right up until the day of her passing, with her beloved Aubrey and family at her side. Together they brought four children into the world, which resulted in ten grandchildren, twelve great-grandkids, and the recently arrived great great-grandson Xavier.
Margaret was much more than a wife and mother. Over the years, her intelligence and business acumen facilitated her successful careers in banking and business with her and husband Aubrey’s final efforts going towards helping start up the family business, Prime Property Management.
Margaret was confident and assured and held her own in any situation. Woe to any man who tried to patronize her! Fiercely protective towards her Aubrey and extended family, she was loved by all whose lives she touched. Too generous and quick to give gifts … we are sure the flags at the Home Shopping Network are flying at half-mast in Margaret's memory.
If our love is any measure of her legacy then she will be remembered forever. Ever the consummate organizer, Margaret has gone first to make sure everything is in order for those who follow. She leaves behind in Ontario her sister and confidant Mona Clark (Doug), and beloved “baby” brother Reverend John Hyland (Donna).
Farewell Maggie and God’s speed on your journey home - Love Aubrey, Bonnie and Randy, Brian and Deana, Lori May, Kathleen and Cris, Jennifer and Taylor, Jason and Leah, Melissa and Brian, Jennifer and Pierce, Kaylan and Brent, Olivia and John, Wade, Jada and Kevin, Aiden, Nyla, Sophie, Linden, Kathryn, Aubrey, Estella, Raegan, Bronson, Oliver, Joel, and Xavier.
A Memorial Service will be held Wednesday, September 20, 2017, at 2:00pm, at Oliver’s Funeral Home in Grande Prairie (10005 107 Ave.).
I've been doing quite a bit of elk hunting lately. I set a tent camp up on a large river bench.
It withstood a two day rain event that had 3" of rain overnight! River came up a foot which is good for getting around.
There are lots of berries this year and bears to take advantage of them. This guy went straight up the riverbank
There's a lot of hunters out as it's been a warm year. It's chasing the elk up onto the high ridges during the day, they're only coming down to cross the river or at night. I hiked up to the top through some bad country, lots of ground cover, mostly consisting of rose bushes with 1/2" stalks and thorns to match. My lower legs look like I tried to stuff a cat in a bag while wearing shorts. And sure enough jumped elk up there and had some action. Found this area where a bull turned the bush into a potato patch. Look how nice the loamy dirt looks
I told my buddies we need to get out of here before we kill something and then have to pack it back through that nightmare.
I had a few trail cams out and got a nice shot of a coyote family. There were 3 of them in total.
It's been a while Still chasing elk. I harvested some deer meat which is always welcome. I did call in a herd bull and my son missed two shots. I've since asked him to change his last name back to his Mom's. Ha ha I told him all part of the hunt as long as you don't wound an animal. Five cows ran right into me as I estrous called to the bull. It's a deadly call as it made the bull come back for that second shot.
Still using the boat to hunt but the weather window is closing soon.
Hunting elk is like pulling teeth this year, except for the hurting part as I do enjoy the pursuit. Now I should make a qualification about hunting elk in Alberta. There are two kinds of elk, agriculture junkies and wild elk. The agricultural elk herds stage in close proximity to fields and raid crops from summer through the winter. They can add up to a big population. Wild elk are just that, deep in the bush. I don't hunt agricultural elk. I like the wild ones... but they are much more difficult to hunt in my opinion.
I used to hate hunting elk in October, but that's because I don't like sitting around. But over time I've forced myself to slow down this time of year and hunt smarter. When I get somewhere with fresh sign I'll sit and call for a while from a concealed position, and just wait and listen. When I say sit 30 minutes is about as long as I can handle unless there's some action.
Usually, like yesterday the elk doesn't call at all, or if it does it's subdued. I called this bull in twice yesterday in two different locations about 1/2 mile apart. First occasion I could hear it walking on the ridge line as I called. At about 75 yards I made it out but screened by spruce trees. I had the cross hairs on it as it stood facing me but no way to tell if legal. Had another chance as it turned and left but it looked to small and I don't shoot unless I know. My buddy and I followed tracks for 1/2 mile and set up again. Called for 10 minutes and poof all of a sudden spike bull standing at 50 yards broadside. It stood for 10 minutes as I made a few estrous calls and finally turned and walked away. Nice experience regardless.
Followed that up by finding truck with flat tire and skidding truck off road on slimy mud backroads. Survived it all!
Nice Mulelys Brian. Do you hunt those mountain lions. I hunted them down in Idaho one year for 45 days. What a good time and some of the best eating meat I've ever tasted. Watching those hounds work was something to behold. Pretty sure I'd be hunting them every year possible if they were in my area for predator control and table fare. Good luck and be safe out there this winter.
Those big mule deer keep tormenting me. Mule deer are on draw in most of Alberta but I have enough priority points to get drawn, looks like I should have pulled a tag.
My son and I did 50 miles on snowmobiles yesterday. Tracked some elk in the fresh snow and I got to put the crosshairs on a cow. But no bulls, just 4 cows. The deer were moving constantly and we'd see fresh tracks right over 15 minute old skidoo tracks. I spotted the rear end of a deer heading around the corner of the trail. When we came around the bend I saw it was a young whitetail buck moving through the willows. I grunted and he stood long enough for a shot. After which it bolted.
When we followed up there was only a small drop of blood where the buck stood. It took off with 12' leaps and was easy to follow in the snow. But no blood for over 150 yards until we came up on the buck piled up from a heart shot. Shows the importance of following up on every shot to the bitter end. This will be one tasty buck. i also shot a doe the night before so we have 3 deer in the freezer... but no elk yet!
I'm getting geared up to start trapping. We've had several weeks of -20 and lots of snow so the mountains should be ready. Lynx and wolf snaring opens Dec 1st also. I can't wait to get rolling.
Congratulations on the successful deer hunting trip, I agree that is what I'll shoot as my dad always called them camp meat deer, I wish you well on getting a elk we have a shoulder cow elk season in a few hunting district's . Stay Safe out there ! Allan
Allan in Alberta we can start bow hunting Aug 25th to Sept 17th , rifle opener. Regular seasons run until Nov 30th but with special draw tags for elk until into January. There's not many places with as many species and seasons this long. We're lucky.
We shot the deer on a fellow trappers line. He's the third generation of his family to trap the same line. His grandpa used to ski and snowshoe about 75 miles to get there from the homestead. One of the original cabins
Wow is all I can say what a great looking area to trap and hunt in ! The grandfather reminds me of Fuller Laugerman who ran a trap line on snowshoes that many today wouldn't try with a long track snowmobile. I still miss visiting with Fuller every convention that we both would attend he selling lure and me with snares. Sorry I'm not trying to hijack your post. Allan
No problem Allan. This area is just about hunting for me. An associate traps here My line is not quite so easy to access. I will be able to show you some of it later this week as I’m heading out. I love talking with older folks who’ve spent their lives in the bush. But they’re disappearing while I’m heading to become one.
Those are some nice mulies ! I just came through your part of the world and couldn't believe the snow you guys have, more than twice as much as we have here at home. Beautiful country you live in. Good luck this winter Brian, one of these days were going to have to get together and have a visit.
I had a good day in the bush yesterday. I headed to some deep canyons and waded through deep snow to check out the ridges and terraces for elk.
I wasn't out very long before a very nice mule deer buck came out on a ridge. It was really checking me out but relaxed when I grunted a few times. I didn't have a camera but wasn't far from my gear so ran ( ok lurched quickly) back through deep snow and grabbed one. The buck had moved but I was still able to get a long camera shot of it that shows its potential.
I started working some poplar flats when I spotted a bull moose feeding. I grabbed my camera and slowly worked my way up on it. I grunted softly and bent over like I was feeding on willows. I got some decent video as I got up 30 yards on it. The bull checked me out several times but relaxed as I grunted my way up to it
I was just ambling along with the first bull when I notice it was walking right up onto a cow and another bull. The other moose were also cool with my presence but this much larger bull was never 100% comfortable and trotted off after 5 minutes, taking the other moose along. But it did let me get very close to it.
Later on in the day i spotted whitetail does, another small bull moose, and a very cool hawk owl, something I hardly ever see.
Our snow went away with the 50-60 degree temps and wind speeds to match the temps. Thanksgiving day is a deer hunting opportunity for all of us to get together hunting, this year for me it's not in the cards but they managed to get 4 nice bucks they seen one bull elk but no permit for it. Those mule deer bucks are fun hunting, I wish we had moose around here that's a bucket list animal for me. Thank you for giving us a look into your providence . Stay Safe out there ! Allan
Good day fellow trappers. Not much exciting going on as winter disappeared on me. I've been landlocked with open water and unable to access the majority of my line. But I do have three wolf bait sites going and have taken some marten close to camp. Cold weather and snow hitting this week so I'm thinking January might be a whole lot better for access. Hope everyone has a good Xmas and get to see their families.
I was downloading pics onto a hard drive the other day and came upon this one again.
We spooked a golden eagle off this fox just after it killed it. Was still feeding on it the next day.
Come to Daddy. I'd say I have 100+ snares out to date. Snow is frozen into a hard crust so we know what that means. No wolves for now, but patience is on my side.
Good luck Brian. I've got a whole mess of bait at the house but cannot get it out to the line til the river freezes up. Don't think my pilots will let me put it in the plane. Pretty ripe. Winter will be here soon,, I hope..Stay safe and go get some wolves.
I'm sure you'll wreak some havoc on those wolves of yours, J.R..
I caught a wolf with the grandson and he asked if he could have the skull. So i decided to do it for a Xmas present to him. Just finished it
Put six coats on it.
Then epoxied it to a piece of driftwood I had. I think he'll like it.
Very cool way of displaying it, im sure he will love it. Did you ever do any thing with the cougar skull you found washed up or throw a set of calipers on it.
We headed out on the line just after xmas. - 38 the day we arrived.
But nothing that a load of dry split wood couldn't fix.
Speaking of wood I hauled in a load across the frozen creek but the extreme cold pushed overflow up on top of the ice. About 12" of water, just enough to make the belt spin and require a man haul to dry shore. Left machine running for 10 minutes and everything dried out and back on the road.
Next day it was froze solid again and I could retrieve my chainsaw oil I let floating the previous day
I had a few friends brave the cold, and drive four hours to come out for New Years. We had a lot of fun , feasting and drinking. It was a full moon so even got some night shots.
Next day i hauled everyone out in the party bus. Slow but can haul a lot of folks and gear
Nunamiut- The tracks are rubber and awesome. Smooths out the ride and goes anywhere. You can spin a track off on a tight corner while rubbing against a bank or tree but they're pretty easy to put on.. They're also incredible on muskeg.
Just back in from the trapline. We've been under a cold weather advisory for a week but it's warming up today.
With a beautiful sunset last night
I connected with the kit that ate its mommy last week.
I also took a big male in another foothold
The wolves haven't been around for a couple weeks but as I was sledding out I hit the packs tracks heading towards my sets. But they deviated off the trail 30 yards from where I have a series of footholds. I'm thinking they picked up scent of fresh urine I used and are wary of it...for now.
oh yea... he got his ram. Beautiful full curl - 29 mile pack from kill site to truck so he earned it. No BS he shot it within 1/4 mile of where I suggested he hunt. He called me this morning so excited and pumped up, and appreciative. By the way he said it was a 500lb. + black bear that charged him to within 20 yds while he was going through a raspberry patch. Normally I'd say BS to a black that big but we've seen this bear before and its a monster. Glad to see his ram was the only thing killed.
Wonderful story. Great ram. Just a quick "me-too" on the huge black bear experience. November 2017 I did what has been an annual solo hunt in Adirondack designated wilderness. Five mile hike in from pretty remote trail head. Absolutely no one else anywhere around. Always looked for a bear but usually see deer there. 3AM my first night I could hear an enormous bear approaching my tent. Because it was 13 degrees F out, I was bundled up tight in the mummy bag. Getting caught inside a tent as a huge predator attacks is a recipe for death or serious injury, so I struggled to get out and confront the bear with a headlamp and hunting rifle. The faint light beam lit up the huge bear and I said out loud "One more step and this will be the shortest hunting trip I have ever had." He stared and studied and then turned and went around the lake. I went back to bed. Next day I am way up on this snowy mountain, far from camp, and I hear a ruckus below me. It's the bear, hot on my trail. At fifty feet he stops, looks at me, starts sniffing (am I pepperoni pizza?), and I shoot for his neck. He turns and runs. No blood in the snow, and later I find the small beech twig that deflected the bullet. I figure the deer have heard this mess, and I descend the mountain and do a mile-long sneak down below, leading me back up to the base of the mountain, at its far southern foot. It's a wild area where I have sat and watched fisher, pine marten. Really a quiet spot. Here and there I'd hear twigs snapping up top, and I put it down to spooked deer or heavy snow breaking spruce branches. Well...as soon as I sat down on a rock on a deer path where I killed the biggest deer I have ever seen in the wild some years ago, I hear a twig snap. Looking up hill I see a flash of black fur. No way, the bear is coming back, but this time he is sneaking in. A minute later he is peeking at me through the space between two fallen trees above me, and slowly gathering himself for the rush and pounce. When I saw what I was sure was his neck in my sights (no scope, I am super old school), I fired. He went down at thirty yards. After his death moans died off, I slowly picked my way up to him and then put two more into his chest. Based on the photos and the size and weight of his hide (54 pounds fleshed, squared over six feet without the head, with the head 77 inches long), head, etc we estimated him at close to 600 pounds. When people say black bears aren't predatory or dangerous to humans, I can say one literally tried to eat me. Undeterred by getting shot at. A total predator. I will never see them the same way again, and I have enthusiastically hunted black bears for a long time. Your guy had a real run-in with one, too, and was lucky.
Just returned from another run to pick up some supplies and my wife and head back out. Plus just had lunch with a couple fellow trappers so life is good.
One of the small kits I caught had some nice spots on the belly. Closest I'll ever come to a bobcat I'm thinking
I picked up a larger female from the same set a couple days ago. I even had to build me a new stretcher as I left them in town.
Because of weather conditions travel upriver has been dangerous so I've been forced to trap in a very small area. But recent cold snaps have tightened things up and I headed up river on this trip.
The extreme cold we had forced overflow up a few feet on top of existing ice and then froze hard. Where I typically bang across rocks is now a frozen skating rink. Made for really good going.
I ran into some fresh wolverine tracks at a location that I had caught one at before. Originally I set for lynx at the site because of a clawed up tree. But I've since discovered its a wolverines scent posting tree.
I started out by excavating the bole of a tree and placing a bait. It's about 10 yards from the scratch tree.
And hope that the finished product will snag one before the season ends. I also placed a foothold at the base of the scratch tree.
I love coming around this corner and seeing the vista in front of me. Nothing between me and the ocean but solid bush
It was good to open the door to the cabin and see everything was tight and mouse free
I elevated my floor for storage and to take advantage of the view
The only frustrating thing about getting older is knowing that I'll never have enough time to see everything I want to see in this paradise. But I still have a few miles left in me.
oh by the way the wolves single filed as a pack right through a wall of snares I had up around my bait site. They literally threaded a needle going through. They also didn't like the looks of my footholds either. They think they have me figured out but we'll see.
Thanks Bush... Could you elaborate a bit more on the wolverine scratch tree? How hi they mark, how often they have these trees, how often they visit the trees, more so or less so at certain times of the year, will multiples use the same tree, any type of tree they prefer? The last may be a silly question if you do not have much variety.
Little is known about wolverines marking trees with claw marks and urine / glands. I had never heard of or read of it before I observed it personally while visiting a friends line in Northern Alberta ( I know...I know Rick, I ripped your beautiful parka on that trip)
That trapline has a phenomenal amount of wolverines on it and I got to track lots of them as we were interested in filming them. I followed one that led me to the first scratch tree I had ever seen. It had been freshly marked but I could see old scratch marks as well. After that I've discovered other scratch trees on my own trapline and also saw a video trail cam clip of a wolverine scenting a tree. Once you find one they stick out. Very much like a junior version of a bears.
Anyone try this? Talking with trapper buddy today and he mentioned he likes to wire up his cam locks with squirrel wire so they close lightning fast. The wire drops off once the loop drops and doesn't effect locking at all. I fabbed up some Z shaped wires and the snare does close up wickedly fast.
I ran into some fresh wolverine tracks at a location that I had caught one at before. Originally I set for lynx at the site because of a clawed up tree. But I've since discovered its a wolverines scent posting tree.
I started out by excavating the bole of a tree and placing a bait. It's about 10 yards from the scratch tree.
Good luck on the wolverine Brian once I figure out how to post pics on here I will post some of the collared wolverine I caught this year along with the map showing his travels for a 3 month period.
Pretty interesting concept with the cam locs. Let us know how that works out. Thanks for sharing your adventures with us along with all the awesome pic's!
Thanks for comments. I will let you know how locks work out
Just back for the day then back out. Spent a nice few days with the wife coming along. Always a good idea to marry a farm girl they know how to work.
Looks like the canines are breeding. Trailed a couple coyotes for a few miles and lots of frolicking and playing based on their tracks in the snow. Plus blood in the urine
Picked up the last kitten out of the family that chewed their mom up. The young lynx sure have nice bellies
I love coming around this corner and seeing the vista in front of me. Nothing between me and the ocean but solid bush
It was good to open the door to the cabin and see everything was tight and mouse free
I elevated my floor for storage and to take advantage of the view
The only frustrating thing about getting older is knowing that I'll never have enough time to see everything I want to see in this paradise. But I still have a few miles left in me.
You are fortunate, Bushman, that is some spectacular wilderness. Please keep posting. Here in PA we hunt bears pretty hard. Our firearms season is just four days long, and we kill about 3,000-4,000 bears a year. A few are picked up in early archery and extended seasons that are an extra couple of days or so in a few high problem areas. It is rare for people to have run-ins with bears here, because they are so conditioned to being hunted by people. Mamas with cubs excepted, of course.
I've been a travelling man the last few weeks. I hit Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto, and small town eastern Canada via air and car. Makes me appreciate my home.
Weather had been consistently cold and lots of snow. Makes for good travelling as long as you can handle the snow depths. I've only been hung up a few times. The wolves have been almost non existent on my line this winter which is very unusual. But I figured they'd show up sooner or later. A few weeks ago they crossed my trail but kept going.
A couple days ago they returned. What I believe is happening is they are spending way more time up in a large burn that is fairly new. I'm thinking lots of moose wintering in the new growth. Regardless they came down onto the creek and its obvious that breeding season is in full swing.
This is where the pack members all came together after dropping down off a steep hillside.
Then they came down onto the creek and made this scent post
I left a trap there and set two more around each corner. Here's hoping they return soon
Despite the several feet of snow we still have spring is coming to the mountains. I pulled my high country sets last week and closed up the line cabin for the winter. I put metal sheets over my doors and windows. I've left trail cams setup and always look forward to whats on them come summer when I can access the cabin again. It should be a rock and roll breakup with all the snow we have today. back to the bush today to close up the 150 wolf snares i have scattered across the trapline. There have been very few wolves this winter and lots of reports of crappy wolves due to mites.
Seems like it's been a while since a post. We're still in the middle of winter around here but it's starting to bust loose. Although I still have a couple feet of snow in the back yard. I've been hauling word to camp and doing some cabin maintenance but nothing too exciting.
My Dad has been hanging onto my first 22 for over 40 years and just gave it back to me. He was so proud I had shot a goose with it when I was 13 that he had a note taped to it still. I dropped the goose on the wing at over 50 yards and Dad couldn't believe I killed it at that distance. He bragged to his buddies for weeks about it... good thing he didn't know that I was shooting at the lead bird and got the third one. I suspect most legendary tales have a spin like mine!
I've started refurbishing the 22 and am turning it into a "grandkids" rifle
And if you woke up with a headache this morning think how this poor guy feels.
The inmates are restless. They’ve been released from the “Big House” for several days now and the novelty has wore off. Small differences begin to magnify and you can feel the tension building inside the homes they’re domiciled in. At any moment a tantrum could break out.
Yes… it’s Spring Break time and schools all across the province have discharged a tsunami of kids looking for action, or more accurately distraction. And for many of them that distraction comes from their electronic devices. But not around my place.
My wife and I aren’t against the use of modern devices by our grandkids but we figure they get enough of that in today’s world. What we have to offer is some good old fashion fun that stands the test of time with all kids if they’re given half a chance. And most of it revolves around the outdoors.
We live in the country, so helping out with the extensive vegetable and flower gardens that are my wife’s passion, plus caring for of our animals, adds a nice rural touch to the grandkids life. But if you asked them what their favourite place is, the odds are they’d tell you Sheep Creek Lodge.
All of them love the place and we have made many good family memories out there over the years. And this last week we made some more. Deana and I loaded up three of the crew and headed for the mountains.
In the winter when we are out by ourselves trapping we can only handle as many kids as can fit in our one bedroom cabin. Plus we have to haul them in on snowmobiles so three kids is a pretty good load. This posse consisted of a 3-year old, 6-year old, and a 8-year old.
On the snowmobile ride in we like to stop and look at tracks and interesting sign that we see. On this trip a cougar came onto the trail, and we showed the kids how the tail drag mark in the snow, and lack of claw marks in the tracks told us it was a cat, and the length of the stride and a long tail meant it wasn’t a lynx.
And to make it even more interesting we could see where the cat had started chasing a deer on the trail, obviously why it had come onto the trail in the first place. The deer tracks really stretched out along a half-kilometre of trail before darting off into the bush. That deer was only touching ground every 12’ between bounds. Probably demonstrating to the cougar how healthy it was and signalling, don’t waste your time chasing me.
We weren’t done with cat tracks as lynx were wandering everywhere in groups of two or three. Breeding season really puts the wanderlust into these forest felines. And if hare numbers hold we should see a good kitten crop this year. I like seeing fresh tracks in spring snow is a good way to assess next years potential fur population.
Once we’re in camp things settle into a nice rhythm after the first day’s excitement runs its course. Kids start to calm down and pay more attention to spending time with each other instead of staring at a screen
But I never was one to waste free labor so we find work projects for the kids to help with. This time around we cut, hauled, and split wood for camp. I got a real kick out of three-year-old Bronson tackling a round of wood and hoisting it into the trailer. Meanwhile his older brother and sister are working harder than a lot of adults I know.
As the firewood stack gets higher and higher you can see the pride in the kids in a job well done! We celebrate with banana bread and hot chocolate and call it a day. That night as the wood stove kicks out the B.T.U’s we make a point of praising the wood they gathered, pointing out we’d have no heat without it.
We finish off our spring break with a day spent shooting BB guns, cooking hotdogs, and getting spirited around in a toboggan by Grandma on the snowmobile. As usual after a half hour Bronson crashes in Grandmas arms on the snowmobile and has a good nap as the rest of them squeal in delight as they are dragged around and around.
As the kids went to bed that night there were a few complaints about having to leave the next day. A lot of rationalizing about how we could stay as school was still out. We remind them that they have a couple of parents who miss them and want them back.
But in truth all their lobbying to stay is just music to my ears. They get it, this place and these moments are special. Long after we are gone these kids will be telling their grandkids about these experiences. Here’s hoping you have your own special placed to immerse your kids and grandkids in nature.
You are right Brian, those kids will remember those experiences for the rest of their lives. Its nice to see people taking the time to get kids out in the woods. Sounds like you have a good balance of work and fun, and thats important too.
Nice shooting with the .22 Brian. How in the world did your dad keep that rifle from you for so many years. Maybe your not telling the whole story. What else did you shoot with that little rifle?
Sounds like a good time with the little ones Grandpa. Reading tracks with the little ones is sure fun. It's great to see their attitude in hard work change as they see their own productivity like stacking the wood pile high. The memories in the simple things like gathering fire wood, hotdogs over an open fire and hot chocolate outside will be passed on for years to come. The fun really kicks in when they are old enough to really be helpful and the pride shows when they wanna come and help.
Thanks for sharing and have a safe and productive summer.
Thanks guys, I had a blast with my kids when they were little and now I'm enjoying the next crop. There were no lack of guns at our home AK and this little 22 was the runt of the litter and I moved on to a pump 22 winchester pretty quick. I still have that gun too.
My buddy dropped off about 50 photos from my past. A real trip down memory lane. This one is in 1979 along the McKenzie River and I remember it was bitter cold. I see I have a fox and a marten on the go.
I was also checking out my toboggan. It was a red oak plank model from the Hudson Bay. I probably paid $300 for it way back then. First nations would use a canvass bag for their gear but I'm using plywood I see. I also noticed my mitts dropped down in the snow. Always more handy then gloves as I still use bare hands at most sets. Years have flown by but the fire still burns and if anything things are even better.
And this was our cabin at the time. I built the log one on the right in about 4 days as our previous cabin had burnt down to the ground. I used old telephone poles as Telus switched over to satellite. The frame cabin beside the log one is still in use today and weather tight. It was super insulated and you could heat it with a candle. Lots of good times and memories made there.
Luckily we were at the old cabin we had used before these two when the chimney started the roof on fire. When we saw there was no stopping it we grabbed a chain saw and cut a hole in the wall and threw all our possessions out. We hardly lost a thing, other that the cabin.
And to add insult to injury we had just put a 16' x 16' brand new addition on a 12' x 10' piece of crap older cabin. It was the old wing that caught fire. It burnt down to ashes!
A book is definitely on my list Dave but for now I'm still trying to make stories.
I remember this day pretty well. We dragged the canoe overland for a mile and hit a creek feeding into a lake. We spent the day calling for moose while we fished for pickerel. Scored on fish but no moose this day.
This was a hail Mary caribou I killed on a fall hunt. We had been hunting down by the NWT / Alberta border in the Cameron Hills but had to leave because we kept puncturing our trike tires on willow that had been slashed the previous winter. We all rode out 25 miles on flattened trike tires. We popped the tires off rims and stuffed them with rags and tarps to get a little bit of cushion on a brutal ride out over muskeg hummocks.
Once we fixed our tires we headed towards Fort Simpson and went hunting up the Mills Lake Road. it's an old military road that leads from the McKenzie Highway all the way to the McKenzie River to where an old US army base had been stationed during the second world war. I dropped the caribou in a muskeg meadow about an hour after we started hunting. The bugs were so bad I gutted it in record time and threw it on my big red and tore out of there to get away from no-seeums.
I will probably never kill another caribou in my life. They're having a hard time these days.
Pretty fun to look at old photos for sure!! Recently found an old album of mine from Montana. Might just have to be the start of a new thread!! ;0) Were of the same era you and me Brian. Still on my bucket list to come down and hunt these bugle bulls with you. Thought you would get a kick out of seeing this one. Did college for a year out of highschool. Then decided to take what I veiwed as a chance of a life time. Guiding in the Absaroka wilderness area on the outsskirts of Yellowstone Park back in the hey days for a fall. 25 miles by horse and mule. This would be Fall of 1980
Decided to pack some traps in while I was there.
These were high school photos. Probably 1977 or 78. Carried those fox home on my Honda 125 motorbike. haha
Was lucky to hit Alaska in 1984 with some experience behind me and never looked back.
Len you still just look like an older version of that kid!
I showed this picture to my dad the other day and asked him who it was.
"I'm not sure" he says " Maybe one of your buddies?"
Oh no Dad... it's me.
We were on Stagg Lake which is just off Great Slave lake. I had an interest in a small fishing lodge up there and had gone out on the lake with buddies fishing under the midnight sun. The master guide, me, got lost and we drove around for hours looking for the right bay that held the cabins. Finally i saw smoke and we got back in time for breakfast
All you Canadians will recognize a Lee Enfield 303. This one is a rarer jungle carbine or Mark 5. came out of the factory on May 1945. I bought this one last weekend for $650 for my NWT buddy who has been looking for one for years. They have a 10 shot clip so guys like hunting with them. Super tough and used by our Canadian Rangers for years.
The Lee Enfield 303's were the most popular gun around for years all over the bush in Ontario,and likely all over Canada.The deer hunters used them,and the moose hunters used them.You could buy one for $30 bucks almost anywhere.Shells were available everywhere too.The 303 was a way better calibre than the 30-30 for accuracy,range and hitting power,and had a good reliable tough action.Some guys spent money "sporterizing" them,but the vast majority were "user guns" that could take the abuse. I remember going to an MNR auction of seized goods at the arena in Timmins one year-there were many rows of tables with just 303 enfields,lol. Like you said Bushman,some versions of the enfield are worth a lot of money as collectables.There was a factory at Long Branch just outside of Toronto where one version was made,and I believe those have some collector value. Here is an add from the 1963 Ellwood Epps Catalogue.
Shot my first moose with one of those 303's Boco, and with military hard points. Those shells passed right through the moose but I got enough into it to do the job.
There was a Ross rifle which was a Canadian version of the 303. crap gun though.
I found a drummimg log that a ruffled grouse is using so I set up a blind.
I went in at daybreak this morning and the male was already sitting on his log
If you look at the base of the tail you can see what appears to be eyes looking at you. I'm sure it is an evolutionary development and helps with predator avoidance
The male drummed on average every 12 minutes. In between drumming sessions it would sit quietly scanning and listening for females. The grouse make a lot of noise walking through the dry leaves so I believe often they hear them before seeing them.
slowed the action down. The grouse made about 50 wing strikes in a row. A first you can see his wings come to a complete stop between beats but as it speeds up it uses the momentum to really get going. If you look at the mirror on the right you can see it moving from the force of the wing beats.
Comment on male sitting on log at day break—as over the years I spend time scouting for turkeys and most of the time i am in the woods at least an hour before first light depending how far I will be covering. Not unusual to hear drumming well before any break in the sky of light. At times I can barely see the ground before me and the birds are drumming. Makes me feel welcome and at home.
Oh that was cool. Sure go the footage slowed down all right. Fond memories seeking out ruffs in the spring to photograph. Thanks for Sharing Brian really enjoyed seeing that.
It's been a long drawn out spring. I haven't been in the mountains for three weeks as its that crappy time of year when you need a quad and snowmobile to get in. However my Dad asked me to go back with him to his childhood home in the Muskoka country of Northern Ontario. I can see why I like the bush so much as that country is straight rocks and lakes, plus some million dollar cabins. The land that my great-great-grandfather homesteaded in the early 1800's is now worth millions! WE SOLD TOO SOON.
I had to fly out of Ottawa so I went to the National Gallery of Canada. Some outstanding Canadian art. I was pleasantly surprised to see a pair of Mukluks on display from Ft. Providence. I'll be fishing there next week.
But what really blew me away was this Inuit made coat
I'm overdo for some excitement so I'm heading up to the NWT next Saturday fro some jet boating and fishing.. Gas is at $1.27 a liter or about $5 a gallon here but $1.50 where I'm going. So I'm prepared.
Put the boat in the water and took it out for a blast to make sure it's in good running order.
While on the river my buddy and I looked for some fossils. He found petrified wood and I liked the looks of this rock
Cool looking rock. That coat is a real work of art, what kind of fur?? My youngest daughter and her husband just came back from a trip up into the NWT near your old stomping grounds. They had a great time but were a little to early for fishing as the rivers were still frozen. They are Yukon bound this month and itching to get out to their new trapline.
Just did 2750 km or 1700 miles from home to NWT and back. Great route up through northern alberta and then back through northern BC.
I had a buddy with me who just retired after 30 years in the traces at an auto plant. This trip was his reward to himself for sticking it through. As I had a "tourist: with me I stopped at a few of the waterfalls along the way.
I stopped off at one of my old trapline cabins. it's been 30 years and it hasn't fared so well. Someone cut the walls up for firewood years ago and the cabin collapsed
But my old table looks pretty good still considering it's been outside
It felt good to be back in the mountains along the North Nahanni river. We went over a 100 miles deep and saw some rough and beautiful country. Even very few locals go this far back. One of the local guys Bob that was with us had just spent 3 days floating back to to civilization when his boat crapped out up on the Root River the week before. the same river I went on with them the year before.
One of the best parts of returning to NWT is being with friends who are still living as traditional a life as is possible these days. I'm fascinated and in awe of the knowledge it would take to exist in this land without modern comforts. And I believe I'm witnessing the last of the generation who have that direct connection going back thousands of years.
Even a kid today who is being brought up in the old ways, knows that there is more out there and technology exists. When my buddy Floyd grew up with his grandparents they lived liked their people before them. Better guns and fish nets perhaps but same technology. Even still using bows.
So when Floyd sees a moose on the river..it gets his attention
And when its a young bull moose it gets his full attention
leading to a whole lot of work and great rewards to this First nation hunter
Glad to live in a country where this life still goes on...but for how much longer?
A big draw back home is the fishing. The nahanni was running like chocolate milk and the water was too low to access Little Doctor lake so we headed up a tributary of the mckenzie looking for pickerel / walleye. I managed to limit out and bring a meal home for my large family.
You bet Boco. Dip them in eggs then a flour mixture with lemon pepper and a local spice called "Back Eddy" and fry them up! I make a tartar sauce out of mayo, Worcester sauce, lemon, voice, shot of tobacco, and my wife home made zucchini relish. No left overs around here.
On my way home i stopped in ft Liard to visit a lady who I buy work off of. She owes me some birch baskets but they weren't done. But she had all the birch bark sheets cut and had this little baby in a box. Waiting to extract the quills.
Open season all year round on any cat on your property causing problems. Last fall I commented on following fresh cougar tracks that circled right through my camp while hunting deer, same cat I'm guessing. I have deer feeding on my fresh new green grass. i'm going to fence in my playground. Probably a good idea anyways as I'm close to the water.
Just returned from our Alberta Trappers Association Rendezvous weekend. 700 folks sat down for supper on saturday night. A couple action packed days of events and seminars. our association has really grown and strengthened over the last decade. tons of kids and families in attendance too.
My friend is in Nunavut researching barren land black bears. Much more of a carnivore then boreal black bears who eat mostly plant material. The males go 350 - 400 pounds. The females hang around rock outcroppings while the cubs are small so that they can use the rocks to get away from predatory males. They range all the way north right up to the salt water.
Wow those birch baskets are awesome. Glad to see you are out having fun this summer. How's the boat running. Hunting season is just around the corner. Have fun and be safe this fall. I am going to work for the outfitter and guide all fall out on my trapline. He's been after me for a while so I finally agreed too.
Wow, that was an amazing 84 page read. I am in the process of buying a high mountain trapline in BC; I hope that one day I can be half the trapper that you are!
The line I’m trying to buy is in the Selkirk Mountains near Glacier National Park. It’s 210 sq miles with glaciers on the mountains and ancient rainforest in the valleys. Access is poor though, only one road in and it is prone to avalanches, rock slides and washouts. Elevation ranges from 500m to 3200m. Should make for some interesting adventures as long as I can access it.
I woke up Sunday, it was my 59th birthday. It had rained in the mountain for days and days and we got a lot of water. My cable car which had been high and dry days before became an island.
I had a group of 10 young guys in for a bachelor party. We just hung a tarp and built a bigger fire for them. They had a blast
If you want to be a better trapper or just understand animal behavior better, this book is worth a read. On Sunday a Kestrel hawk flew down into my camp and snatched a pine siskin out of the air right in front of me. Very cool.
My friend is in Nunavut researching barren land black bears. Much more of a carnivore then boreal black bears who eat mostly plant material. The males go 350 - 400 pounds. The females hang around rock outcroppings while the cubs are small so that they can use the rocks to get away from predatory males. They range all the way north right up to the salt water.
Brian would you know if those northern blacks are more of a threat to humans than the forest dwellers? Curious if being more of a carnivore changes their disposition. Thanks Osky
Muskrat 411- I think Rich likes his cougars 40+ and rich.
Osky - I've been involved in two film shoots in Labrador and my partner probably had been there a dozen times. The black bears there are aggressive and real camp destroyers. We usually hire a local guy to man the shotguns and watch the cinematographers backs. Protein is hard to come by up there.
Fall is just around the corner and sheep season has opened up down here. My buddies wife is an avid new hunter and is keen to get a ram. We decided to start opening up an old horse trail that hasn't seen any traffic in decades but goes up into some prime sheep country. We were supposed to start cutting and bushwalking in July but we've had high water conditions all summer making access impossible, so we're getting a late start.
We just returned from a 10 day trek and made good progress.
We even found the odd old blaze to show us we were on track
spent the morning building a ramp to give me easier and safer access from the creek to my cabin flat. Had my snowmobile cat walking on that hill too many times.
Thank you for sharing some great looking country ! As for the knife it looks similar to a woodsman's pal I've got a older version I've cleared trails with myself. Have fun shoot straight and stay safe ! Allan
Awesome pics as usual. Most of us can only dream of such an experience. Lucky man you are Bushman. Definitely appreciate the chance to see some great pics and hear great stories. Thank you for sharing with us all.
This article may be of interest to all you moose hunters
The Science Behind the Moose Rut - Hunting Tips Written by Vic Van Ballenberghe Tose, Published Apr 12, 2018
Every autumn, people who observe moose ask me, “Is the rut early (or late) this year?”
Perhaps it’s a cold fall and people think that low temperatures will mean an early rut. Or maybe it’s warm and the rut will be delayed. People also wonder about the effects of the moon phases on the timing of the rut. As a moose biologist with over 40 years of field experience, I can answer these questions based on my own observations during the rutting season in addition to the work of other moose biologists across North America. We now know enough about the factors that govern the year-to-year timing of the rut to allow us to reliable predict whether or not in any given year the rut will be early or late. But before I reveal what we know, I’d like to describe the phases of the rut and the annual patterns in moose behavior and activity that characterize the rutting cycle of moose. These patterns apply all over North America whether it’s Quebec, Montana or Alaska.
From the time the rut is over and bulls lose their antlers in winter, through the spring and early summer, moose are totally unconcerned with reproduction and mating and display none of the behaviors that accompany the rut. They are mainly solitary and do not engage in social behavior unless several moose happen to occupy the same patch of habitat. During the late winter, moose are mainly trying to survive. Studies have shown that they are active only about half as much as during summer and they feed for only about half as much time. The twigs they eat are high in fiber and not nearly as digestible as green leaves. Moose chew their cuds and rest a lot in winter to allow their low-quality diet time to digest. And they avoid other moose in order to conserve wasted energy that might be required during social interactions.
During spring and summer, green leaves appear and suddenly there is abundant, nutritious food, and moose waste no time in consuming it. They may feed up to 13 hours per day and consume 45 or more pounds of leaves and twigs. Cows are rearing calves and need lots of high quality food to produce milk as well as to gain weight to replace that lost during winter. Bulls are also gaining weight-as much as 250 pounds by summer’s end- and are growing new antlers and new hair coats. They are focused on eating and resting and avoid interacting much with other moose.
During winter, the hormones that result in rutting behavior are shut down and the testes of bulls shrink greatly in size. But during spring and summer, alterations occur in moose that will ultimately lead to the restoration of hormone levels and changes in the reproductive organs. By late summer, we can observe the results of these changes that signal the approach of the rut.
In my field studies at Denali National Park in interior Alaska, I have observed changes in the social behavior of moose beginner in early August. Moose are still feeding intensively but are starting to interact much more with each other than earlier in the season. Cows that have lost their calves may form small, temporary groups. These may contain only two- to five moose and may only last several hours or a few days. Similarly, bulls may join other bulls in small groups. In radio-tracking individual moose in early August, it’s not uncommon to have a moose associate with 10 to 15 others during a two-week period by forming brief associations with different moose over time. And these associations are accompanied by social behavior, especially among bulls that may display their antlers to each other even though they are still growing.
The first real benchmark behavior of the rut, the one that begins phase one of the rut, is antler velvet shedding. Bulls actively remove antler velvet by thrashing antlers against shrubs or trees. It takes a mature bull just several hours to go from fully velvet covered antlers to largely velvet free antlers. The earliest I have seen a bull out of the velvet in August 18 and the latest date with velvet-covered antlers is September 10. The largest bulls shed first and the yearlings shed last. By September 1, most large bulls are out of the velvet. As soon as the velvet is shed (or rarely, as it is being shed) bulls are willing to display antlers or actually engage in sparing. Sparring is practice fighting with no real winners or losers and no attempts to injure opponents. Fights are much more violent and serious and are sometimes deadly, but they are very rare compared to sparring matches.
Bull moose begin frequently rubbing their antlers against shrubs as soon as the velvet is shed. “Bush thrashing” is the most common behavior displayed by bulls during the rut-a mature bull may bush thrash several times each hour during the entire rutting period. Early in the season, bush thrashing serves to advertise a bull’s presence to other bulls and bulls that hear it at a distance often investigate. Hunters use shed antlers, shoulder blades or even canoe paddles to imitate this sound with the hope of attracting a bull within shooting distance.
During the first week of September a very important rutting cycle benchmark occurs. As the reproductive systems of cows prepare for mating and conception, they undergo changes in early September that mimic estrus. No mating occurs at this time but cows change their behavior toward bulls and allow courtship. For the first time in a year, bulls and cows socialize for the purpose of reproduction. They may form small groups that last only a few days and the interactions among them may be serious enough to provoke fights among bulls that compete for the right to court cows.
During this early phase of the rutting cycle, bulls and cows begin to utter vocal sounds that are seldom heard at other times of the year. Bulls are normally quite silent, but as the rut begins, they advertise their presence with a low-frequency grunting or gulping sound that we call a croak. As they move across the hills and through the forests, bulls utter croaks several times per minute, varying their volume. At times, on still days, I’ve heard croaking bulls half a mile away. Other bulls often approach this sound hoping to evaluate a potential rival. As with bush thrashing, hunters may often imitate croaks in order to attract bulls.
Cows utter long, wailing moans when pestered by bulls attempting unwelcome courtship. Each cow has her own individual voice that varies greatly from individual to individual, as does the volume and intensity of the moans. Loud moans can be heard half a mile away by humans and farther by moose. Some people think cow moose vocalizations are mating calls that solicit courtship by bulls. In fact, they are protest moans signaling that cows are not yet ready to mate, as well as attempts to attract the attention of larger bulls to displace smaller, younger ones that more aggressively court unreceptive cows.
By about September 7 mature bulls stop feeding and begin scent marking. They dig rutting pits and urinate in them, then splash the mud-urine mixture onto their antlers and neck. Mature bulls may produce four or five pits each day early in the rut. Metabolic changes induced by lack of feeding produce strong-smelling chemicals in the urine that interact with the reproductive systems of females and may help synchronize estrus. Cows are strongly attracted to rutting pits and vigorously wallow in them. Younger bulls that lack strong-smelling urine also wallow in pits, but dominant bulls may try to prevent this behavior. Despite all the attention that moose give to scent marking at pits, they very seldom reuse pits after a few hours as the chemicals in urine seem to quickly lose their potency. Hunters may gain information about the location of rutting bulls by locating rutting pits, but are unlikely to intercept bulls returning to pits that are more than one day old.
All of the frenzied activity around rutting pits early in the rut allows moose to interact with each other as they assess potential mates and evaluate possible rivals. The pits provide an arena in which rutting behavior can be performed, behavior that later in the rut contributes to an individual’s reproductive success.
By about September 10 after the first phase of the rut is complete, a 10-day second phase of the rut begins. Cows are not yet ready to mate and no longer solicit courtship; in fact, they discourage it by retreating from courting bulls while uttering protest moans. Bulls are fully ready to mate but must postpose their attempts until receptive cows first appear. Some bulls wander widely searching for cows in remote places, perhaps trying to avoid rival bulls that may have already staked out the best areas with many resident cows. Sparring matches among bulls are frequent at this time as younger bulls try to learn fighting strategies and techniques as well as assess the importance of antler- and body size of rivals. I have occasionally watched large, mature bulls spring with yearlings whose small antlers could only engage one large antler palm at a time.
The third phase of the rut begins about September 20 when the first cows enter estrus and the first mating occurs. In the far north, cows without calves form rutting groups that typically contain three to six females but at times can have as many as 25. Such groups can be quite stable or females can come and go over time. Each group has a dominant bull that maintains his status by intimidating or fighting challengers. Dominant bulls have mating rights to the cows in their groups unless they are displaced by challengers. I have seen large groups that had five different dominant bulls during the course of the mating period.
In places farther south, rutting groups are rare. Bulls seek out receptive cows and stay with them several days before moving on. Mating generally involves one bull tending one cow at a time.
During the third phase of the rut, bulls court cows by slowly approaching them, while softly croaking. They test the urine of the females by smelling it and drawing some of the scent into their mouths so as to expose it to a gland in their upper palate. They tilt their head back and curl back their upper lip. Bulls determine the estrus status of cows in this way. Receptive cows produce chemicals that signal their readiness to mate, chemicals that bulls can detect. If a cow is not receptive, she resists further courtship by moaning and moving away. Persistent bulls, especially younger inexperienced ones, may pursue her. At times, bulls chase cows long distances, trying to herd them and control their movements, but these efforts are mostly futile as cows can normally escape.
Receptive cows allow bulls to approach them, signaling their willingness to mate by letting a bull rest his chin on their rump. Bulls then mount the cow and mate. In my field studies over a 12-year period I found that the general rule is that one cow mates with one bull one time per year, and that the mature dominant bulls do most of the mating. But like all things related to wild animals, there are exceptions. Cows will mate with any bull when they become receptive. If a dominant bull is occupied with fighting or chasing off rivals or mating, a cow might allow a small bull to mate with her. And while 98 percent of the cows I observed mated only once per year, a small number mated two or more times.
By radio-collaring bulls and tracking their movements during the mating period I learned that some bulls remained within a relatively small area while others roamed widely. The dominant bulls that had cow groups moved little. Some of the non-dominant bulls also did not travel far but rather stayed near the cows hoping for a chance to mate. But some bulls spent the mating period searching for cows, at times moving 30 miles or more from where they started. These were often small bulls whose body- or antler size was too small to successfully fight larger rivals. Or, they were old bulls past their prime. As a result of their long distance movements, bulls like these were more likely to encounter hunters that were resident bulls if hunting seasons were open during the rut.
Fights between bulls are most common during the third phase of the rut, as bulls compete for mating right. While people may occasionally see sparring bulls, they rarely see fights. When they do, they remember the drama, power, and violence forever. Mature bulls are agile, fast and unbelievably strong and have great endurance. They display all these traits when fighting.
Fights have a beginning, middle, and end and result in a winner and a loser. Bulls approach each other while displaying their antlers and body size by rocking their heads from side to side. They lower their ears as a threat, paw the ground and continue to display while nose-to-nose with their rival. If neither one backs down, antler clashes ensue as each tries to push the other back. Most fight end quickly but some continue for hours until one bulls turns and runs off while the other pursues him.
Many bulls are injured in fights, some fatally. Eyes, ears and foreheads are damaged and scarred. Serious puncture wounds may become infected and result in a delayed death. Muscles, tendons and ligaments may be torn. Despite this, most bulls survive the rut and live to fight another day during the following year.
The third state of the rut ends at mating ceases by about October 7. Rutting groups disband and individuals go their separate ways. Bulls that did not feed for about three weeks now feed intensively as they try to replenish some of the reserves they lost during the rut.
The post-rut phase begins during this period. Young bulls continue to engage in social behavior by frequently sparring with each other. Sparring in common as late as mid-December. Bulls also continue sign-posting behavior that began during the mating period. Sign post are rubbed trees that bulls create with their antlers by scraping bark off living trees, often small trees with trunks less than three inches in diameter. The tree often dies. In my study area, sign post from previous years are common in those areas that have rutting groups year after year. Whitetail deer bucks create rubs before the rut whereas moose bulls rub after the rut. Biologists think that moose rubs function as signals to other bulls that a rival is present in the area, or indicate to cows that a potential mate is available.
Around October , about three weeks after the main mating period ends, those cows that did not conceive (and those that are two years-old and mating for the first time), come into estrus. In most populations, this includes only a small percentage of cows—most conceive during the third phase of the rut in late September and early October. The mature bulls that participated fully in the early mating period forego late mating and continue to feed intensively. Much of the mating in late October is done by younger bulls. If a cow still fails to conceive at this time, she may continue to cycle at three-week intervals. Captive cows kept away from bulls have been observed to be in estrus as late as March.
Now that we know the sequences and timing of the different phases of the moose rut and the characteristic behaviors that occur during each phase, let’s return to the basic question posed at the beginning: during any given year is the timing of the rut affected by temperature or moose phases? For example, do cold temperatures signal an early rut? Put another way: do external factors drive the sequence of events that characterize the rut, or do moose have within them mechanisms that regulate their behavior such that the timing of the rut is consistent from year-to-year?
During my 37-year study of moose rutting behavior at Denali National Park I have seen the full spectrum of weather extremes that occur from mid-August to early October. Snow fell as early as August 19. One year it snowed three feet in mid-September and temperatures fell to 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter immediately set in. Other years has mild weather with shirtsleeve temperatures as late as early October. What effects did these weather extremes have on the timing of the rut?
I observed no significant differences in the year-to-year timing of the various phases of the rut (and no changes in when the benchmark behaviors began and ended) that were related to difference in weather events. All of the typical behaviors leading up to the mating period occurred during the time periods indicated above regardless of temperature and snowfall. The mating period consistently started about September 20 and ended about October 7 during cold years and during warm years. Early in the study I expected to see year-to-year differences because I heard hunters talk about them but no differences were observed in the field.
I did observe important differences in the daily activity of moose during the rut that were related to temperature. By late August, moose are fat and their new hair coasts provide good insulation but deter heat loss. During warm days, especially when sunlight is bright, moose are subject to overheating. As a result, they reduce their daily activity and rest in the shade for long periods. Warm weather can persist well into September, even in the far north, and when it does moose are much less active during daytime than during cool weather. People observe these differences and I believe this in the basis of the early rut/late rut theory. Cold weather in September results in more activity, which seems to indicate an early rut. But we know from field studies conducted over many years that this is not the case.
Similarly, phases of the moon do not affect the timing of the rut, but may affect daytime activity. In my research, I did not try to correlate moon phases with moose activity. I would not be surprised if moose were more active on bright moonlight nights.
If temperature, snowfall and moon phases do not affect the rutting cycle of moose, what primary factor regulates it? Biologists think that moose evolved responses to day-length changes (which do not vary from year-to-year) such that changes in the length of days influence internal factors that control hormonal changes that in turn regulate behavior. Naturally, year-to-year consistency in mating time (and hence time of conception) results in consistent dates of birth for calves the following spring. Timing of births to coincide with the green-up of plants so cows can produce abundant milk is likely the driving evolutionary factor for consistent year-to-year timing of the rut.
If you are a moose hunter, plan to see changes in daytime activity of moose that result from different temperature patterns, but don’t expect to see changes in the timing of the rut. My field studies and those of others in several other places in North America confirm this basic fact.
Vic Van Ballenberge is a wildlife biologist who has studied moose and wolves since 1967. His moose behavior study in Denali National Park is now in its 37th year and is one of the longest running moose studies in the world.
This morning was the opening of rifle season. We've been pounded by rain and snow over the last 10 days and the bush is super wet and trails are muddy...but bit is opening day so off we go.
Hiked across a cutblock calling as I went. Mostly elk cow calls. All of a sudden I catch a flash of black moving towards me in the underbrush. My first thought is a black bear is coming in at me thinking I'm a cow elk. By the time I'd thought it I'd already dropped a grunt tube and was drawing a bead on where i saw the black flash, but it was gone. I would have thought I was going nuts except I could hear walking in the thick bush. My buddy came up and I told him I thought I'd just seen a small black bear.
I walked another 50 yards and saw something moving down the trail at 250 yards +. I put it in the cross hairs and could see a black wolf. I pulled the trigger on my 270 mountain rifle and launched some lead poisoning down the tube. And dropped that wolf where it stood. My buddy was pretty impressed especially when we walked for quite a while to get up to it. As we were walking towards it I see a black wolf making a dash into the thick willows. Now I'm thinking I wounded the wolf and it got up and took off. Not Good!
But as I got closer I could see a young female wolf piled up on the ground. That's when the rest of the pack started howling. They kept it up for 45 minutes and despite responding to my own wolf howls they wouldn't give us another shot. I'd estimate another half dozen wolves that were within 100 yards but hidden by the willows and alders. We didn't get an elk but had a pretty exciting time regardless.
Way to go! My trapping partner just took the school kids on a field trip to net whitefish and hunt moose, camped out for a few days, they had wolves howling within 100 yards of them one day, but they wouldn't come out of the brush for a shot.
Yesterday was one of the those days that hunters dream about.
The weather broke and sunshine and warmer temps were predicted for yesterday, with no rain or snow. I headed out with my son and 88 year old pa to do some elk hunting. Dad just waits at the vehicle and hikes around while we head into tougher country. My son and I headed over a river break and hunted along river terraces as we dropped in elevation.
I've shot a lot of elk over the years and the vast majority have been between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Yesterday we got into a nice pine flat and set up to do some calling. After 10 minutes I saw my son coming back to me and he asked if I'd heard a couple short bugles. I hadn't but that's why we stand a couple 100 yards apart when we call. As he headed back to take up his position again a 5 x 5 bull came running in at full speed towards us.
It ran in to 40 yards and spotted my son walking back to his stand. The bull whirled and started to run when I cow called and stopped it. Jason took a shot and the bull staggered and walked off slowly before stopping again as I laid on the cow calls. We watched as the bull tipped over.
Then a cow came running in towards the cow calls and stood at 50 yards from me. I had a cow tag so I dropped the cow. The time was 9:42 a.m.
We were two pretty happy hunters and as we processed the meat we were even happier. beautiful fat bull and super fat cow. The bull hadn't even (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman)ed all over himself yet so it seems like the rut cooled off during all the crap weather. It took us 2 hours 40 minutes to process the two elk. We broke them down and piled the meat on logs. Placed a flag on the meat to warn us if a bear takes possession of the meat last night.
We're heading out today with the argo to get the meat as it would have been a tough back bringing the meat up the river valley. I drove over 500 km ( 300 miles) last night to get my argo from the lodge so we could go back this morning. We'll have to cut trail for a few miles to get to the meat and climb some wicked hills but the argo will be up for it.
I'm heading out now so stand by for full report on meat haul.
We headed out early yesterday to pick up up the meat. Beautiful sunny day which is nice after two weeks of rough weather. We had to make new trail to get down to the elk through some pine blow down area. Two guys and two saws make fast work.
It took us two hours to clear a couple miles of trail.
We had to descend three fairly steep hills to get to the bottom. At the base of each hill is a flat terrace covered in pine and aspen forest. Perfect elk habitat. In total the whole river bench is about 4 miles wide and two miles deep. I shot my first elk within a mile of where we killed these two elk over 25 years ago.
It sure felt good to pull up to the elk and see no predators had bothered the meat and it was nice and cool to the touch. The argo easily held the two butchered elk, but would it make up the steep inclines under load?
Our trip out only took 30 minutes and the argo climbed the hills like a mountain goat without any issues. The more I use the argo the more I like it. Surprisingly agile you can really maneuver through the thick timber because of the skid steer like steering. And haul great loads, and float across deep water. Another tough and bush ready Canadian product.
And of course another great thing was having Dad waiting for us up top. Its really special to have your father around still hunting when you're my age. it's also cool to see that at 88 he still has the passion for the hunt and the horse power to keep going. He's my hero
Congrats on the hunt Brian, awesome story and it is great your father is there to enjoy you and your son's success. Better yet he is there for you guys to enjoy him. Very nice.
These journals are very impressive and fun to read. Most of us will never have the opportunity to even come close to these experiences that you gentlemen get to live out in the remote wilderness. All I can say is thank you for sharing!!!
Looks like you had a great season Brian. Fine meat for the freezer and some fur for the stretcher too. Got to go on my first Argo ride this fall and hauled out an entire moose in some rough country. Very impressive tool but they seem to require a lot of maintenance. That is one heck of a ramp ya built there too. I believe everything the man said about the moose rut and experienced the same scenarios. Didn't realize the cows would come back into estrous that late though. Thanks for sharing the great pics and your journeys. Stay safe this winter..
I spent the last week at the lodge as I had a group of guys come in to hunt elk. They had some action with small bulls but we are in a 6 point or bigger zone. I found a nice set of elk sheds on a mountain slope and they fell off right beside each other.
My wife and my Dad came out with me. Dad went deer hunting every day. He used his grandfathers 38-55, a rifle he killed a lot of deer with as a young man.
I'm sure some of you have seen black bears up poplar trees in the spring. They eat the buds off the tree and leave scars on the trunk that last for years.
And those black bears better keep a tree close by in case this guy comes by.
I picked this grizzly up on my trail cam on Sept 16th. I like the black coat he has. I believe this is a young male who has taken the territory over from the old boar who's been around here for the last decade.
Dad is 6 foot 2” and played hockey until 60. I’m 5’10” and remember following his long legs through the bush as a kid. He was and still is a walker...just like his son. Everything in life important to me Family- bush- laughter & stories I got from my father. Mom gave a temper and business sense, plus a lot of love too. Parents really do have the biggest impact on how we turn out. I’ve done my best to start mine out good and so far so good.
The weather has taken a turn for the better and we are enjoying some awesome fall weather. My wife and I have been enjoying ourselves hanging out at the cabins and getting ready for winter.
Getting some nice shots on my trail cams.
Got some video and pictures of a nice grizzly family. One of the cubs is quite colourful.
Started working on building a bridge across the creek. I'm hoping to avoid dealing with freeze - thaw - overflow issues at camp this winter. I'm also hoping the bridge uprights will survive spring floods. But we'll see.
I followed the bear sign for a few hundred yards and came upon where the bears were digging up some plants. Probably sweet vetch roots which have a significant amount of calories in them.
AV - Glad to know it was on Facebook, must mean it happened
I bought this electronic squeaker that gives off a constant rodent / bird chirp sound. I set up a trail cam to see if it would have any effect.
This duo showed up. The video shows them jumping up the tree trying to source out the sound. Might make an interesting sound lure at a cat set this winter.
I was lucky enough to watch a big brown bear boar dig out a black bear out of it's den and eat it one spring while I was guiding. Mother nature at her finest. Experiences that happen every day in nature and just lucky to witness. Can't witness stuff like that from the couch except on the internet.
Gotta love those trail cameras, just ordered 4 more myself. That sure is a beautiful griz cub with that sow. I used one of the old Squealing partner round ball calls last year. I friend of mine gave them to me many years ago.It used 2 AA batteries and lasted most of the season which really surprised me. I caught 2 lynx and a marten off it.
Just got our first bit of snow. Good luck and be safe out there this winter Brian
Pretty amazing to see that JR but you saw it because you were out there doing it.
We've already had several major snowfalls that lasted for a month but it got warm for the last few weeks and most of it melted. I'm off to take the old man out hunting for a couple days in the morning and see who else has shown up on the cameras. Like this guy
I saw that footage on Youtube,"A couple guys got footage of a grizzly digging up a black bear den and killing a cub. Pretty dramatic. This happened a couple hours from where I live". That was really something. Them Grizzly's are ruthless. That pic you had of a Grizzly a few weeks ago, he just looks like he would be some kinda mean too. :.
Gator - JR fired me and I no longer handle his media inquiries. He's hired some hot shot PR firm out of San Francisco. However I will share with you that the Bushnell line has been the best "budget" camera for winter use using duracells If money is no object its hard to beat Reconyxx. With all cameras the trick is the battery temperature, when it hits 40 below no camera will operate well. I'm looking at trying larger batteries with solar panels this winter but the days are short!
I'm pumped up as trapping season in pretty much open for all species. Our Alberta coyotes are hitting $150 so a few dozen of them would be nice. i don't have many of them out on the mountain trapline but I think I'll target some around home here on land I have access too. My trapline is better in December so i'll mess around here.
A couple guys I went to school with 45 years ago ( Holy crap you young guys its true that time flies) and I are going to set up a wall tent hunting camp this week. It's going to -20 and we've had snow the last three days so conditions are perfect. We'll go out Nov 17th and hunt for a week. I've filled my elk tag so my goal is to kill a deer with my great grandpas Marlin 38-55.
This was the 100+ year old trail I was clearing out when the boys dropped a deer. This is an open section, much of it is choked with alder and willows which i cleared out. I want to keep the old trails open on my trapline.
I just got back from a winter hunt with a couple old time buddies. We went to school together. They both had elk tags, one a cow tag and the other a bull. As my son and I had already tagged out we were there to help out only.
The boys had themselves a nice wall tent set up. Even some fancy poles.
Once the tent was set up the chef got into action
This was a new area to hunt for me for so we hit the trails looking for an elk herd. Rut is long over so we're looking for elk on their winter feed. Trails were rough and the country had a lot of wetlands.
A wolf pack was working the first area we checked out. Looked like 8 members in the pack
I was following a game trail along a river when I came across this birch tree. You can see where someone cut out birch for a moose calling horn. It looks pretty old to me.
I found where a elk herd was feeding in a large meadow. I back trailed them towards their bedding area but didn't enter it.
The next morning the the other two guys went and posted over the meadow with the tracks. A dozen elk cows and calves came out and grazed for over an hour. They were 640 meters away and to far for an ethical shot under the conditions. They weren't comfortable putting a stalk on the herd so they just watched. They came back to camp pretty excited. While they had been watching the herd my son and I found another hot location that had a lot of fresh elk-moose-and deer tracks.
The next morning I went back with Tom to check out the cow herd as he had the only cow tag. They didn't return so we slowly worked our way into their bedding area. The cows and calves weren't there but it was an obvious favourite spot to hang out.
A good spot to remember for future hunts.
Yesterday I took them to the spot we had found with all the fresh sign. I took my buddy with the bull tag with me and my son took the other hunter with him. We were working a large clear cut that had 8' pines growing in it. I headed one direction while my son went the other with the intention of meeting up in the middle. i was cow calling as I made my way through the regrowth. We walked up on a cow and calf moose who were sure surprised to see human and not a neighbour elk.
Then I spotted an elk hind end through the trees and spotted a nice bull elk standing there 40 yards away. i pointed him out to my friend and he put a shot into the lungs. The bull ran into a stand of trees where a follow up shot put the bull down. I had a pretty excited couple of buddies on my hands.
My son spotted the bull running across the clearing towards my cow calls. I've called in and killed several bulls in November so don't believe those folks who say you can't get the bulls in during late season
The rack is real pretty and has a nice crown on top like a red stag. Not a huge rack but the elk had a big body.
A great hunt with a couple of good friends and my main buddy...my son
Looks like fun Brian. Once again you have more snow than we do...crazy. I got one of those frames for my wall tent a few years ago and they are nice. Good luck out there this winter
It's been a slow start to trapping. Same old same old waiting for the high country to freeze up tight. Lots of lynx and bunnies this year. January will be full speed ahead.
I did take in a two-day wolf trapping course last week. Excellent course put on by our Trapping organization. It's great to see and hear different trapper's techniques. Spent equal time on both snares and footholds. Snaring though is much more popular because of our 48-hour mandatory foothold check.
We finally got some real winter and have some -20 and a big snow dump. I just started getting sets out and hope to go hard now. last year was not a good one for wolves but things are looking up this year
The pack came down the river and left me some great set locations. I have snares and footholds out so we'll see. Fur sign looks good, more marten and lynx then I've seen for a long time. And of course, snowshoe hares are way up which is why everyone else is thriving. heading back out right away.
Your wolf rug is a pretty awesome color. Lacking on snow here Brian but got some cold weather this week. What was the new wolf snare all about. Heading back out on Wednesday to get a bunch of wolf gear out myself. Good luck and be safe.
Happened on thread and quick edited pic to pull out color. No idea if hue is right as I’ve never seen that color phase that I remember. I’m also working on phone so not sure display settings.
I’m wondering if blue tones are darker more Catahoula Tick colors. They appear too bright vs. grayish I would think but if I get to a PC monitor I can get closer. Neck is coming through really bright though.
I just got back from another trapline run and had a chance to try out one of my Xmas presents. The snowmobile stopped on us mid-stream and I wanted to move it before checking things out. I used another machine to put some tension on the bunjee-puller and all I had to do was lift up on one of the front skis and the snowmobile popped right out of the creek. I was getting a flashing DESS signal on my snowmobile gauge display and the machine would run but had no power. A little voice in the back of my head kept trying to remind me I had this problem before but I ignored it for half an hour before remembering that it had to do with a poor connection on the key fob. I pulled it out and reinserted the key fob and away we went.
We had a few grandkids out which always makes for a good time. These two were wearing some coyote face masks that Grandma made for them
Getting some lynx and marten but I'm still mostly cabin bound. The creek has been freezing up very slowly this year. I'll get a few days of cold weather followed by a warm spell that thaws things back out. I pushed a little further upriver this week and hope to get further up next trip.
At the wolf trapping course I just took, the instructor used a cordless drill to drill a pilot hole into a tree and then inserted a piece of #9 wire into the hole and used the wire as a snare support. That looked easier and used less wire than my method of twisting the support wire tight around a tree for support. I used a drill for one trip and soon discovered it is not for a guy like me. I need less equipment, not more. So I came up with an alternate method that worked pretty good when I tried it out. I just looped the #9 wire tight around the two roofing nails and pounded them flat into the trunk. The support wire stuck out a couple feet easily and supported the weight of a snare. I'm going to use fence staples next time.
sure is fun having grandkids on the line I set a short little line up with the 8 yr old this year and he isn’t catching much but having a blast took his twin cousins that flew infor the weekend today and set some special snares for them it was great in addition to the three of them helping skin a lynx yesterday
Catching up Brian. Always great to see your journal. Your photo below reminded me of the only trapping I have done for a while. Darn mice were in the garage. Well I had traps similar to yours and was missing about 3 to one catch with the big pans. Educating them mice I was. I decided the wide pans were not allowing them to be committed enough to consistently stay in the kill zone. So I bought some victor mouse traps with the narrow food holder in the middle and the side holding mechanism. Well bingo. Three for three. I still got it!!! haha.
That albino Red squirrel is unique but there are several museum specimens at the Manitoba Museum collection. So they do occur. Once they are in the population they keep on coming back up, in my instance even 25 years later. There will be totally black ones in the area as well.
Years back the old time squirrel grader from Dominion Sudac said there was 3-4 a year come in, but that was when 2-300,000 squirrels a year graded per auction.
AK - Using mostly Bushnell HD cams, Reconyxx is the best though.
Wow did we get some winter in a hurry. I've been cabin bound all winter because of the mild weather and open water. We got nailed with a couple feet of snow followed by -40 to -46 for the last several days. It warmed up today too -30 so I headed out on the trapline. The Skandic wouldn't start so I hand cranked the 550 Tundra and got it started and hit the trail
Just a bit of snow out there
I had to pull on the cold weather gear for this trip
I have one of those old bug eyed Tundra 550 for work. My knees are always sore from riding it as the slippery angled seat pushes you right up against the front all the time. But they are good in snow.
Speaking of fox. this one was killed by a Golden Eagle. My buddy spooked the eagle as it was finishing the fox off. Day later I spooked it off the carcass where it had eaten this much
[quote=Bushman]WH - If wolverines didn't eat frozen meat they'd die. It just had places to go and bait to steal
The wolverine I caught was a beauty - but super skinny. He looked like he hadn't eaten in awhile. I don't think they have much to eat where I am trapping. So - I can't imagine them just leaving a perfectly good moose head that quickly. That wolverine must have had more options in mind!
Nice videos Brian. I wanted to put one on my bait but didn't want to sort thru the thousands of pics of ravens, magpies and camp robbers. Seems like all my camera shut down around 27 below F. Your grandson sure is growing fast. Good luck and be safe out there.
Beautiful grouse - reminds me of silver and gold !
Lots of ruffies here , they live in the yard and anyplace . I like to plant and encourage native plants and berries that they like, wherever I have lived.
Love ruffed grouse. Favorite bird to hunt. Super challenging to find, and hit on the fly. I spent a ton of time hunting them in MN. Miss them here on the KP!
I can't count the times one has scared me to death while snowshoeing. How many times in deep cold have you kicked one out from under a snow shoe ?? Really gets my heart started !!
Interesting how the tails of different birds are different colors. I have several fanned and dried on the cabin walls
My film partner just came upon this ram that slipped and fell and got hooked by its horn around a tree Tough way to die
The main researcher on fleas in Canada actually died that way as well when he was deer hunting in southern Ontario was not found for three days. may he rest in peace. it took three years to finish his manuscript after that.
Here is another variation of a copper phase. I shot this one a few years back, definitely the nicest Ive ever shot. Should have got it mounted. Have shot a few more since then, but they didnt seem to have the full colour like this one did.
Here is another variation of a copper phase. I shot this one a few years back, definitely the nicest Ive ever shot. Should have got it mounted. Have shot a few more since then, but they didnt seem to have the full colour like this one did.
That may be the most beautiful grouse I have ever seen!
Hmmm. More grouse than I've ever seen in one spot in my life - and thats saying a lot. Makes me think... Grouse Fetish. Never heard of anyone with a grouse fetish. Unique. I like it!
The tails are quite fascinating. I have always collected and admired them.
Tried to find some Alaska ruffles last fall. Didn't do so well.
If money is no issue Reconyx cameras are hard to beat. Day to day I use any Bushnell HD camera but I do have failures once in a while. If you’re just fooling around and not that concerned if a shot gets blown there’s lots of Chinese knock offs for under $100 that get good shots when they work.
Just back from the Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta AGM and banquet. We had 800 folks to our banquet. We had a wall of rams featured as it’s our 20th anniversary here in Alberta. I had a couple rams on the wall
I picked up a big male cougar in a wolf snare yesterday. It's so heavy I had trouble getting it on the back of the sled. I'm going to weigh it. I have to turn it in, we don't get to keep them
That's a lot of sheep Brian. I'd think it would be pretty common to catch lions over there in wolf gear or am I wrong. It seems like they are about the same height and after the same game. All done over here for the year. Good luck with the rest of the season. Cannot wait to see where ya take that little jet boat of yours this year. Stay safe.
Cougars only stand about 24-27" at the shoulder.So on average,considerably shorter but I could see them getting in to wolf snares,especially the big ones.
AK. I’ve been pretty good on keeping them out of wolf snares as I don’t place snares close to any baits. But I do have random trail sets for wolves and pick odd one off. There are trappers who catch several every season but it’s just a pain in the butt. I’ve got two trips planned for the boat so far. I’m heading up the McKenzie River late May for fishing. Then in Sept I’m going into McKenzie Mountains with my buddy for fall hunt.
I picked up a big male cougar in a wolf snare yesterday. It's so heavy I had trouble getting it on the back of the sled. I'm going to weigh it. I have to turn it in, we don't get to keep them
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Why can't you keep them? Have you ever been able to? Can you hunt them with dogs, or other? How are the numbers?
I've always thought that was a BS rule in many cases. You accidentally catch one where the numbers are fine. The state profits from it, but you can't. I could see if you made a habit of it - it would raise some eyebrows, but a once in a lifetime or once in a blue moon? If I am the CO, that cat is yours! And good for you!
I don't always agree with the way things are done with regard to wildlife management, and laws. That comes from having a degree in this, and even more, from trying to become excellent at this outdoor lifestyle - and seeing the way things are done, and often only because that is the way it has always been. Some things just don't make sense. Some things really need refining. My opinion.
Kinda hard for me to see you have to give up that cat
Brian, sounds like you have a summer full of adventure planned! Way to go thats how life should be lived. Did you get a weight on that cat? When I hunted them down your way I was shocked at their size. They are solid muscle. The one I harvested weighed 185 and another fellow killed one that went 175 while I was there. Pretty cool animals. They are seeing more of them up here every year now. Fish Game spotted one feeding on a moose carcass down near Watson a week or so back.
Yukon those were big cats you harvested ! This guy was 165 lbs. In Alberta Bears Wolves And Cougars are classified as a hunted species and treated differently than a fur bearer. Cougars are expanding their territories in Alberta and numbers are up
Nothing too exciting going on but putting up wood for the summer. Amazing how much wood guests burn during the summer. Part of the reason they come is have fire.
Good eye AV. I had a couple pieces left over from a fireplace salvage and these were actually part of a hearth and mantle. They hadn't been used. I'm going to fill in the recess with hardwood blocks to make a butcher block section. It'll be handy for cooking. I broke a corner off on the way in. We'll see how the repair goes. heading back out tomorrow. I'm also going to get the trail cams out so hopefully get some spring action.
I'm going through withdrawals. High water conditions have prevented lodge access and it's been almost 30 days. Drove out one day and creek was flowing just even with top of the banks and going hard. Grizzly snapped off top of tree on my trail was about the only excitement. Things have settled down so heading out soon for an extended stay.
Your lucky you have high water we have tho opposite ice moved out at late June levels now we have September water levels cant get into the channels to the Beufort Sea. I want to haul material out for a camp I plan to build and had to turn around a couple times now due to lack of water.
Thanks for the update Bushman are water levels are even lower. Probably October after freeze up levels. Found a new way to go to the coast near Mackenzie Bay. Hauled out most of my building supplies and put the floor in this weekend.
It's been a wet year around here and it's still raining. My cable car washed out on one side, waiting for the flood to subside before I fix it. The road got washed out where a small creek became a major wash out
It's been a while since my last post. Mostly because the rain kept falling and my access road washed out in several areas and it was closed. They just opened it up again so I headed down for five days. It's been a month and a half since I could get in. Serious bush withdrawals.
Water is still high so we had to use a canoe for access.
You can see from the pic that not only was it raining is started to hail. We had to stand under a piece of plywood for 10 minutes until the hail quit. Then started hauling gear down
My son and his buddy came out and helped me get it started. We dug down to the water line to give the uprights some support and then backfilled with gravel and rock
After we had uprights in place we crossed the creek and salvaged my cables. I got lucky, what happened was a large log that I was using for an anchor for my deadhead cables floated away in the flood and drifted downstream and luckily a root snagged on a spruce tree, holding the deadhead in place. The cable was exposed where we could access it from shore, it just as easily could have been under five feet of water.
You can see how far the log drifted in this pic. We used a cold chisel and cut the cable fairly easily. I tied a rope to the cables first so we could use the quad on the other side to drag the cables once they were cut. it went pretty smoothly.
The boys left and I spent the next couple days hauling and stacking logs for my new deadhead and tightening the cables. I left yesterday with things looking pretty good.
The hummingbird flew away just after the pic AV. It was in my shed trapped against a window. I scooped it up in my hat and let it go. Drumsticks looked to small
A load of gas can only mean one thing, road trip. I'm leaving for a fall hunt in the Franklin and McKenzie mountains, NWT, using our jet boats. We have 300 gallons of boat gas and tons of food, and no deadiine for return. My buddy has built a new trapline cabin so it the weather turns we can abandon tent camp and get under a roof. But the weather is looking good. The main goal is moose and mountain caribou and if lucky he'd like to take a dall sheep. We'll see how it goes. Finally some real bush time
What an awesome trip Brian, not going to lie I'm a little(a lot) jealous!!! I know you will take all kinds of pics, can't wait to hear and see the stories. I guess I'll stick around here and chase our animals around, I know there will be one less elk hunter out here anyway lol
What a trip. I'm burnt out after driving 1300 km straight home in one shot last night. We spent 8 days on the rivers and it was a trip I won't soon forget. We went deep into the mountains, over 200 miles up the Redroot into places that just don't see visitors. For my friend, it's his home territory, and was his grandfathers before that. His knowledge of the river and game movements was phenominal
The hunt was successful and some beautiful big mountain caribou bulls were harvested. I'll add pictures and some stories tomorrow
This was a long trip and not just the 2800 km (1700 miles) I put on my truck. We did 714 km or 444 miles in our jet boats. We went 130 miles up the Redstone River after leaving the McKenzie River. On our way out we did 357 km or 222 miles in the jetboat in one day. And over half of that was in rapids so it was a long day and we ended up doing the last half hour in the dark as we came back to the village of Wrigley, I don't recommend it. Our boat route is the orange line on the map.
I watched a grizzly for several hours through the spotting scope at this location. It had taken over the caribou remains and was defending them against any ravens foolish enough to try and grab a bite. Way too far for decent picture but close enough through the scope.
My friends son took a nice bull at a hotspring located along the redstone. More about that hotspring later
In total four caribou were harvested. Two mature bulls the hot spring bull and then this one.
The other two caribou were young bulls. Floyd passed on several moose as he can harvest them closer to home and all year round while the caribou are harder to reach and more time sensitive. right now the herds are moving from summer grounds to rutting areas and winter habitat. We saw multiple caribou in small herds. Also Dall sheep ewes and lambs that were coming down to water. I saw at least 12 black bears but mostly along McKenzie River, plus wolves, grizzly, eagles, along the Redstone.
That's an amazing journey! I hope you got lots of video so you can relive it many time down the road. it would be hard to sleep missing one moment of what will be your Best hunt of this type ever!!
I’ve been out elk hunting. A lot of bears being seen this year. My buddy had to fire a shot to drive a grizzly sow with two big cubs out of our camp. They wouldn’t leave when he was honking the truck horn so he put a round into the ground beside her. That worked. These two bears were at a different camp so it’s a real bear year
Thank you for sharing the pictures and stories of your hunting season so far the boat ride looks very exciting and grizzlies visiting your camp had to be a pain in the neck .down here some archery hunters have been mauled this season by grizzly bears proving the fact that we need to have a season on them again. Allan
No hunting of grizzly's as of yet but the numbers are there for a sustainable hunt, but I'm thinking politics will get in the way.
Moose are in full rut and on the move. My partner is filming them in Jasper and sent me some stills today
It takes about 5-6 years to get drawn for moose and I will have a tag next year. I have a plan to go after a big one in the valley of the horns next fall . Location known only to me!
That's a shame I feel that the people who don't want a hunting season on grizzly bears need to visit with those hunters from here who were mauled then spend a week in a tent in the same area the mauling took place. Then common sense would kick in ? Darn nice moose I miss seeing them down here with the numbers we once had.
I checked my cams this week and see I had another shot of Old Brutus the grizzly I had given up for dead. You can see what a big bear he once was but age is catching up with him. He looks pretty ribby and he should have some weight on if he's going to last the winter.
Moose are on draw in Alberta and these days it can take 5+ years to get drawn. But my friend got drawn this year and has been hunting hard to connect on a bull. It would be his first moose and he was determined to fill that tag. After a lot of scouting he nailed down an area that held some good sign. He got chased out by a blizzard on Monday and I agreed to go back with him yesterday.
Our plan was to cover some miles on quads until we hit fresh sign in the new snow, and then either do some calling or tracking and keep moving until we ran into one or called one in. We trailed a few fresh tracks but the moose was straight-lining it in search of cows and personally, I can't outwalk a moose. But sometimes we can out-think one.
We hit a smoking hot track crossing a trail on a very steep hillside. We called off the top of the hillside and then my buddy followed the tracks down the hill. I dropped down and around to see if I could cut a track on the bottom of the hill. I didn't find tracks but I found an overgrown trail that snaked along the bottom of the hill. I returned to the top and met my friend coming out with a big smile on his face. He had spotted the bull coming back up the hill in response to the calls and shot a nice young bull at 15 yards. Yippee. But now we have to get the meat out.
It was either 1/3 of a mile straight back up the hill or 1/2 a mile downhill to the trail I had found. We're no fools so we chose the downhill route. Two loads each and we had all the meat to our machines and homeward bound. So far I've had to pack meat on all my hunts this fall. Hopefully I'll get an elk soon and it'll be closer to the trail. It was good to moose hunt and call again.
Snows mostly gone, but it was knee deep. Still chasing elk so I took my boat out the other day
A beautiful day on the water. I found a very interesting flat that had about a mile long meadow full of peavine. It varied in width from 20 yards to 200 yards. Full of elk sign and worth a repeat visit. The elk retreat to steep and gnarly hillside bedding areas during the day. Need to sneak in but tough to do in a jetboat and that's the only way to access.
I found where beavers had dug a canal 1/4 mile long into the aspen on the same flat. I wonder how long it took them
I bought the original, I believe, from Pferd about 6 years ago. The Stihl labeled version didn't show up at dealers around me until last year. Like you said, well worth the money. I have a tree farm and cut a lot of firewood. Haven't used my $400 Oregon grinder since buying this $32 tool.
Love all your post but the one about your jetboat caribou hunt is simply amazing between the ground you all covered, animals harvested and spotted and stunning sights especially that deep narrow canyon shot!
Hunting is slow this year. Couple hard winters have hammered the deer population. I've got a couple weeks left to get an elk so I better get going. Did a run on snowmobile on trapline this week and lynx sign is decent but not a lot of other fur moving around. They shot my wolf pack out of choppers two years running now and I've yet to see a wolf track this year. Trying to save caribou so I won't complain too much.
Interesting how lynx have trouble passing by these upright small stumps without stopping. These aren't toilets as there is no urine spray visible, nor has the lynx backed into them. But they do rub their faces on these stumps leaving scent behind as a calling card.
I just spent three days putting up wood at the cabin. I'm even more impressed with this sharpener. If you give the chain a few swipes at the end of the day it stays sharp.
Thanks for the pics Brian. Love that jet boat of yours. Good luck and be safe this winter. I'm gonna have to get one of those sharpeners. I'm one of the worst saw sharpeners there is. I once sharpened a saw so bad, I started into a 20" log and came back out the top 10 inches from where I started without going through the log.
AK - The jet boat sure allows you to access some wild country. I'm looking at a 20' Outlaw right now to add to the fleet. I'm needing a bigger boat for longer trips, but keeping the Firefish for hunting and play.
I just spent three days putting up wood at the cabin. I'm even more impressed with this sharpener. If you give the chain a few swipes at the end of the day it stays sharp.
What the commercial guys do is every time the saw is out of gas they pass the file across the teeth two times, by the time they finish the muffler has cooled and the risk of ignition of spilt gas is lowered.
It’s been awhile. Business and warm weather has kept me from trapping but it’s full steam ahead now. -30 On its way so creeks will tighten up and I will have access
I’m looking forward to get back into the more remote corners of the line. We have a week of deep cold ahead so that helps. Getting a few lynx , the white toes are not that uncommon. I’d prefer white bellies! Snares under the heavy spruce canopy keep working in deep snows.
Great pictures thanks for sharing with us lynx are a bucket list animal of mine and I always enjoy looking at sheep . We're still close to single digits for temps for a few days with snow flurries. Allan
Cold weather gave me a chance to make some more snares. I hate it when snares get tangled up so I cut circles of parchment paper to stack in between every couple snares. Dipped in white formula one.
Your lynx are stretched way to wide you get money for length not width, the one piece forming boards are better but those are good to just go one nail hole less and get a longer pelt. Remember they are forming boards not stretchers.
Thanks 411, I forgive you but I was stretching lynx when your daddy was in diapers. Remember...You Aklavik guys are all about muskrats so don't forget your place.
I just returned from a week on the trapline and was joined by some old buddies. Conditions were perfect and the lynx were really moving around. I had put up a snare one night and by chance ran it the next morning. Good thing I did as the overflow had risen during the night and covered up a freshly caught lynx. It takes a lot of hot water to extricate a cat from the ice without pulling hairs.
My wife was much happier with the dry version
Most of the lynx are mature adults and I'm seeing little sign of juveniles. Better get them while I can. I'm also catching more in trail sets than cubbies.
I was just giving youba comment Bushman there is no argument. It rightnin FHA fur handeling for profit magazine. If you would rather do it your way thats fine. If you can take the loss. Its not a huge difference any ways. Just so you know my Dad was trapping in the Thelon in the 1940s so if you were trapping when he was in diapers your pushing White17 for age. But i have nothing but respect for you all the tough projects you undetake and adventures you have. Love your jet boat stories. Just kidding on the pushing White17 age thing. White17 was discovering Oregon when our Grandfathers were in diapers.
Beautiful country you work in Brian. Lynx are peaking here this year I think. Most of the early cats were pretty fat but the last run they were getting hungry. Catching them in marten sets now. Would like to have seen a broadside picture of that bear by you cabin, he looked like a good mature boar! Really enjoy your journal, keep it going!
Now now, Brian, don't be thinking your so knowledgeable you can't still improve. I was doing well on lynx 15 years ago when someone, you, mentioned a different loop size and height for lynx. Improved my lynx catch and decreased body catches. I would say that in general, selling fur on commercial market is all about length. You can stretch TOO long, but you can also stretch too short. If a trappers boards are too wide, he's going to lose a few bucks here and there. I assume your boards are according to market specs? mt
Now now, Brian, don't be thinking your so knowledgeable you can't still improve. I was doing well on lynx 15 years ago when someone, you, mentioned a different loop size and height for lynx. Improved my lynx catch and decreased body catches. I would say that in general, selling fur on commercial market is all about length. You can stretch TOO long, but you can also stretch too short. If a trappers boards are too wide, he's going to lose a few bucks here and there. I assume your boards are according to market specs? mt
Brians post on lynx snare size and height really helped increase my catch too. I miss very few now, and every time I catch one in a snare, I think of Brian.
Beautiful country you work in Brian. Lynx are peaking here this year I think. Most of the early cats were pretty fat but the last run they were getting hungry. Catching them in marten sets now. Would like to have seen a broadside picture of that bear by you cabin, he looked like a good mature boar! Really enjoy your journal, keep it going!
By observation I think lynx fat or thinness is a function of there diet.If they are feeding on carrion, mice and the occasional squirrels the lynx will be fat. Later in the year when the snow is deeper and they are more dependent on snowshoe hare they will be thinner as they will expend more energy to catch leaner food. Parasite load will also have an effect.
Beautiful country you work in Brian. Lynx are peaking here this year I think. Most of the early cats were pretty fat but the last run they were getting hungry. Catching them in marten sets now. Would like to have seen a broadside picture of that bear by you cabin, he looked like a good mature boar! Really enjoy your journal, keep it going!
By observation I think lynx fat or thinness is a function of there diet.If they are feeding on carrion, mice and the occasional squirrels the lynx will be fat. Later in the year when the snow is deeper and they are more dependent on snowshoe hare they will be thinner as they will expend more energy to catch leaner food. Parasite load will also have an effect.
Exactly the opposite of what I've noticed. On every trapline that I have trapped lynx have preferred hares over any other food source. When there are lots of hares, the lynx population goes up and they are in better condition. Once the hare population starts to decline lynx move out or die and the ones I do catch are thinner. If an area doesn't have hares down this way, you wont have many lynx.
I’m always open to learn, one of the reasons I come on here. But BS is BS. Kind of like lynx not getting fat on rabbits. Haha the great lynx stretcher debate of 2020. Those lynx were stretched on same stretchers used at the 2019 Alberta rendezvous by the pros doing the lynx demo. They are NAFA specs. I will be sure to let them know they're not up to snuff. And this is the last I speak on the subject. I'm not here to debate
I’m always open to learn, one of the reasons I come on here. But BS is BS. Kind of like lynx not getting fat on rabbits. Haha the great lynx stretcher debate of 2020. Those lynx were stretched on same stretchers used at the 2019 Alberta rendezvous by the pros doing the lynx demo. They are NAFA specs. I will be sure to let them know they're not up to snuff. And this is the last I speak on the subject. I'm not here to debate
Maybe that’s why NAFA shut down? Just kidding Brian. You’re still my friend. better come see the delta someday with your jet boat. Save gas and drift from providence. Start the engine for the return trip.
Sometimes you start something and before you start you go onto it with certain assumptions. Then there is enough evidence on first inspection that supports that assumption that you find no need to investigate further. It obvious that lynx eat a lot of rabbit. The other prey and cation they are feeding on sometimes not so obvious. But it is common knowledge that rabbits have little or no fat. Therefore it only makes sense that fat lynx are getting food from sources in addition to rabbits.
In the great lynx forming board debate you are correct that it is not a debate. There is only one auction and they prefer lynx to be uniform longer rather than wider. The old Hudson Bay Auction may have had more lax standards. But replacing you forming boards to meat the FHA guidelines will cost more than you would earn on the improved prices.
But it is common knowledge that rabbits have little or no fat. Therefore it only makes sense that fat lynx are getting food from sources in addition to rabbits.
Not sure how lynx compare to humans, but excess protein is stored as fat in humans. Even lean protein, as well as sugar, carbs, whatever, it is stored as fat. Hares are lean protein, but may be stored as fat in a lynx if they are eaten in excess.
That's some good science there Smalltime. I can see that being the case. I still think fat lynx have an alternate source of nurishment, But your premis is totally reasonable aswell.
Hey Bushman throw me a bone. Have you never seen lynx catching mice from wolverine boxes?
Saw where a lynx caught a mouse one time and play with it til it was dead and then just walk away without eating it. The story was written in the snow. Just like a house cat will play with a crippled fly til it is dead and then just leave it.
Now now, Brian, don't be thinking your so knowledgeable you can't still improve. I was doing well on lynx 15 years ago when someone, you, mentioned a different loop size and height for lynx. Improved my lynx catch and decreased body catches. I would say that in general, selling fur on commercial market is all about length. You can stretch TOO long, but you can also stretch too short. If a trappers boards are too wide, he's going to lose a few bucks here and there. I assume your boards are according to market specs? mt
My media company Compass Media signed a contract in April that restricted our social media interaction. We've got a deal on a three piece series called Running with Wolves. First series Focusing on the interplay between the George river Caribou herd and wolves. My partner started filming the herd at 750,000 caribou...now 7,000! Second series on the salmon wolves of the west coast. We got the first HD footage of wolves fishing for salmon, Plus some dramatic fight sequences of alpha wolf kicking butt. Third series is wolves of northern Canada. NWT - Yukon - Alberta. We have smoking hot footage.
On a personal note having a good year during difficult times. Had a great moose hunt with my 90 year old father. Took a nice bull and also harvested a bull for a guy who had never taken one before. My communication ban is over so we'll be talking soon.
Good to see your busy as ever Brian I'll bet that was very interesting to experience the interaction between the wolves in different situations what a great learning opportunity . Congratulations to you all for getting a moose in the freezer also hunting season is just getting started down here for us. Allan
Brian, been wondering what you been up too. I just got home from a very short guiding season and both hunters were Albertans. The one fellow has met you a time or two. He owns a little butcher shop down in the southern part of the province. How can a guy see the wolf series you have put together ? Sounds real interesting. Where did you film in Yukon?
Seems like winter hit all of a sudden this year, it went from a warm fall to -25 overnight. Hope you guys are getting a little better weather. Real special to get to hunt with your father at 90. All the best to you and yours. Next time you're up this way look me up!
My media company Compass Media signed a contract in April that restricted our social media interaction. We've got a deal on a three piece series called Running with Wolves. First series Focusing on the interplay between the George river Caribou herd and wolves. My partner started filming the herd at 750,000 caribou...now 7,000! Second series on the salmon wolves of the west coast. We got the first HD footage of wolves fishing for salmon, Plus some dramatic fight sequences of alpha wolf kicking butt. Third series is wolves of northern Canada. NWT - Yukon - Alberta. We have smoking hot footage.
On a personal note having a good year during difficult times. Had a great moose hunt with my 90 year old father. Took a nice bull and also harvested a bull for a guy who had never taken one before. My communication ban is over so we'll be talking soon.
I am amazed that just filming caribou would cause a population decrease like that !!!
We were in Denali Yukon. As for the caribou W17 a mans got to eat. A producer commissioned the series so we’ll see where it ends up. He was part of the production team on Grizzly Man. Lots of stories on Timothy Treadwell.
Back to the moose hunt. It's taken me several years to get drawn in the wildlife management unit I wanted for moose. It's a large WMU but only has a handful of tags every year. I had a moose tag and a friend from southern Alberta also was drawn for a neighbouring WMU. We hunted out of my lodge. It was windy and hot for the first few days of Oct and there was little action. It got real cold on the night of day three and the next morning was cold and clear.
We were heading down the road for a morning hunt in my new Defender Max SxS when we came across a fellow hunter I knew who was on horseback. He'd lost one of his horses Dudley the day before and was still looking for him. He was about to ride down a 8 km / 5 mile trail to look for sign. I told him I would blast down in a look for him. He didn't want us to divert from our hunt but we wanted to help out. I told him it would be good karma.
There was no horse on the road so we continued on to our hunt destination, just a little later than planned. We dropped a bunch of Ruffled Grouse and Spruce hens on the way. The defender has a drop down front windshield so my passenger would just drop the glass and blast from the front seat. Deadly as the chicken is alerted. And for all you internet police this is on bush trails not a roadway.
We got to our first location and I started calling. Worked the birch horn and scapula for 30 minutes but no responses we could hear. We figured we'd give it half an hour so my friends stayed in the opening while I headed into the bush for a circle through the bush. I wasn't gone 20 minutes and I heard a shot. i went back and there was a dead moose lying 30 feet from the SxS. While cleaning chickens my one buddy looked up and saw a set of horns breaking over the top of the slope they were on. He called out to Kelly who had the tag, and was looking through his scope to see if it was clean, "There's a moose!" Kelly turned and shot the moose behind the ear as its head cleared the top of the slope. It fell over dead. Talk about an easy bull. It had heard the calls and was working his way in quietly. An average young bull, and Kelly's first moose so he was a happy guy.
I had to hide in the bush for over an hour watching them clean it before I could walk out and pretend I'd just arrived. I Avoided all the dirty work. Just joking, but they did have have the job well in hand when I strolled up. We loaded up the moose then made a 30 km / 18 mile drive to my WMU and hunted the rest of the day. Just as the day was winding up we were heading down the trail when I came around the corner and a nice bull was standing there facing us head on at 80 yards. I came to a stop and opened the door and gave the bull a grunt as I scrambled for gun and loaded it up.
He walked 15 yards closer and stood head on. Seeing as he was giving me the time I dropped onto my butt and took a rest of my knee. The bull turned broadside and I launched a 325 grain 45-70 shell and that was that. Took out the heart and the bull fell by the side of the trail. We quickly processed the moose and finished up as dark was falling. We had to return to the lodge to unload the first moose and grab a bite and then blast back to get mine as this is grizzly country. We got back to camp at 2:30 a.m. We also saw a massive moose run across the trail 5 minutes away from my bull. I'm talking big. My bull had a broken tine and gouge marks in its back. I think I know who kicked its butt. It was a long and productive day. My Dad wasn't physically with us as he was hunting deer at camp but was thrilled when we brought two bulls home. He's 90 and still has the fire in him to hunt.
Looking forward to more of your adventures!
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. Hated by farmers but still beautiful, the Magpie
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. My favourite bird the Kestrel
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![[Linked Image]](https://trapperman.com/forum/attachments/usergals/2020/02/full-1544-36851-lynx_face_1.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](https://trapperman.com/forum/attachments/usergals/2020/02/full-1544-36852-wolverine_paws_1.jpg)
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. Kelly moose